


Fractured Reality

by Debon_Levtil



Category: FluffKevlar
Genre: Cringe, Developing Relationship, F/M, Furry, Human, Meta, NSFW, POV Second Person, War, non-canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-17
Updated: 2019-12-17
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:07:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 16
Words: 361,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21834904
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Debon_Levtil/pseuds/Debon_Levtil
Summary: A writer from the middle of nowhere is sitting by his desk, contemplating what to do with his life. Having been through hardship after hardship, he's almost ready to end it all when he gets visitors from a universe he didn't even know existed. Adventure awaits Jackson as he rekindles a fire he thought put out long ago in a fight to protect his new friends.
Comments: 5
Kudos: 12





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This story is complete, but there are spinoffs and other chapters I'm going to add later to fill in some of the long time skips. The story is long enough as is. Hope you enjoy my latest work!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is complete, but there are spinoffs and other chapters I'm going to add later to fill in some of the long time skips. The story is long enough as is. Hope you enjoy my latest work! Also, another side note, I'm going to be editing this story later to make FK not a female, as this mistake was made due to misinformation. Pretend the extra lines of dialogue dedicated to it don't exist until I can get around to it. Believe me, it's just as awkward for me as it is for you, if not moreso. (EDIT) I'm not going back and fixing all the sex swapped FluffKevlars. I can't be bothered and if you've ever posted a story on this platform, you can understand how hard it is to edit anything once posted. Anyone who came here to read this already knows it's wrong.

You finish typing out the last bit of your story for tonight, starting to get tired from lack of sleep. You turn off the music you were listening to and click the Windows icon, putting the computer to sleep. When you look out the window, you see no cars in the driveway from your 2nd story view. This saddens you, as your family said they'd be back in a week. Almost 3 years ago. You sigh, walking to the other side of your room and opening the door. You don't know why you still close it, as nobody was around to hear you curse like a sailor. Still, it was a precaution you took in case they did return to tell you off. It wouldn't matter anyways, since you weren't going to be around much longer once the story was complete. There was nothing here for you anymore. You look down at your rifle and smile, knowing there was always the easy way out.

When you exit your office, or as you liked to call it, the computer room, you walk off to the room next to you to take a piss and brush your teeth. That was your ritual. Get up, eat, write, play some video games, brush your teeth, and go back to bed. When you enter the bathroom, you look at yourself in disgust, the dim light of a night light covering your face with depressing light. You were overweight, having acne problems, and weren't even strong enough to lift yourself over a fence. You had no redeeming qualities and hated yourself for it. Who'd want you when they could have someone else instead? Someone smarter and more handsome than you could ever be.

After you spit the toothpaste out, you wash your face and flick the water off your fingers, pushing the faucet valve closed. As you left the bathroom, you hear something smash into your wooden floor.

“Shit!” A voice whispers loudly.

Fuck, another burglar? You quietly make your way back to the computer room, grabbing your rifle from beside the desk and flipping the lens covers up on your red dot sight. You click the reticle on and a faint red reticle pops up inside the sight, allowing you to aim in the dark. When everything is ready on the rifle, you make your way over to the steps, keeping your eyes on the living room below.

As you descend the staircase, you hear the sound of bags being grabbed and tossed aside as the person rummages through your things. You flick the safety off gently, making sure to let it come to rest without making a sound. When you reach the bottom of the stairs, you make your way to the kitchen. A flashlight is already visible, making an odd blue glow as it is pointed around your cabinets.

“Find anything?” The voice asks.

“Negative. I am still searching.” Another voice replies.

“Well, keep looking. We need to find something to eat if we're going to be stuck here for a while.” The first voice tells the second. “Shine the light over here, I think I found something.”

Shit, there's two of them. Hopefully they won't be armed. If they are, you're fucked. When you reach the kitchen, you put your hand on the light switch. You flick the lights on and put your hand back on your rifle.

“FREEZE!” You shout, your eyes adjusting to the light.

When your eyes adjust, your rifle drops to your side.

“You've gotta be shitting me.” You say, flicking the safety on.

In front of you stood two furries, a red, white, and black one, as well as a blue and white one.

“What?” The blue one asks before her eyes focus. “What the hell are you?!”

“I could be asking the same thing, but I already know who you both are.” You say wearily, setting the rifle down. “If you're real, that is. I could be hallucinating from all the medicine I'm on.”

“Miss Vikna, what is that thing?” ARA asks.

“I-I don't know, but it seems to be friendly. Even if it did point a weapon at us.” Vikna says folding her arms.

“What? You expect me to lay out a red carpet and throw rose petals at your feet as you go through my cabinets?” You ask.

“We thought nobody was here!” Vikna replies loudly.

Your eyes twitch and you grip your hands tightly. You take a deep breath to calm yourself before speaking again.

“Say that again and listen to yourself say it.” You tell her, unimpressed with her excuse.

“We thought nobody...was...here...oh god did we just...” She says, trailing off.

“Yep.” You say nodding. “You're lucky I turned on the lights first, I was ready to shoot both of you. Not that it'd do much to ARA, but I doubt you're as durable as her.”

“W-wait, you know us?” Vikna asks.

“Yes, I do.” You reply. “I think ARA knows why too.”

“I honestly do not.” ARA tells you. “Do you mind explaining?”

“Oh, I forgot, that blog Fluff runs isn't canon.” You say.

“Blog? Canon? Fluff? What are you talking about?” Vikna asks. “Tell me what's going on here. Where am I? Who are you? Why did I come out here? I need answers!”

“Sit on the couch.” You tell them both, waving them into the living room. “I'll tell you both when I turn the lights on.”

They walk into the living room, sitting on opposite ends of the couch. You turn the lights on that overlook the living room as the entire room is bathed in light. When you turn the kitchen lights off, you grab your rifle and walk over to the living room. As you walk past, Vikna looks at you with barely hidden disgust, while ARA just observes you. When you make it to the chair, you set your rifle down and pick up the chair, moving it over to the middle of the living room. You turn around and see ARA and Vikna watching you closely.

“You can put the footrests up.” You tell them. “There's black buttons on the sides of the couch that will raise it.”

Vikna and ARA both push the buttons and Viknas side raises flawlessly. ARAs side, however, is stuck.

“It appears to be non-functional.” She says,looking down at the footrest.

“Nah, it's just finicky. Here, let me help you.” You tell her.

You walk over to the couch and take a knee, pulling on the footrest before it smacks you in the face. You rub your nose as Vikna snickers at your misfortune.

“I'm fine.” You say, getting off the floor.

You walk back over to the recliner and sit down, facing the two furry girls.

“So, questions.” You tell them. “First off, you are on Earth, the unofficial name of which is Terra. Secondly I am Jackson Haigs, you may call me Jack if you wish. Thirdly, I have no idea why you're here or how you got here. May I ask you two some questions now?”

“No, I want to know how you know ARAs name and by extension, my name.” Vikna replies.

“Are you sure? You're not going to like the answer and you might have an existential crisis in the process.” You tell them. “I seriously advise not asking twice.”

Vikna seems to take the hint and nods.

“Alright, ask away.” She tells you.

“Why are you in my house?” You ask.

“We, um, just walked in.” She tells you nervously.

Her ears fold back and her tail wraps around her waist, indicating a lie.

“If I look behind me, the door isn't going to be broken, right?” You ask.

“N-not the door.” Vikna tells you.

You sigh deeply, keeping yourself under control.

“Next question.” You say, looking at ARA. “When was the last time you charged?”

“Approximately 2 hours ago. Why?” ARA asks.

“Well, from what I read, you use a lot of power, is that correct?” You ask.

“Affirmative.” She replies. “I use approximately ten thousand kilowatts of power per hour.”

“That's...actually not as bad as I thought.” You tell her. “I might be able to rig something up if I can sneak you into the power substation. Any more questions?”

“Yes, what are you?” Vikna asks.

“Human, next question.” You tell her.

“Why are you helping us?” She asks.

“Because if I don't help you, then who will?” You ask in return. “There's nobody else around for miles. Also, I'm pretty sure I'm the only one around here who can help you properly. ARA would probably run out of charge about 5 days from now, maybe 15 if she went into low power mode. We don't have K class charging cables here, nor do we have enough power generation on this planet to facilitate that kind of thing commercially. Anything else?”

“Uh, can we have something to eat?” Vikna asks, smiling sheepishly.

You sigh, putting your your fingers on the bridge of your nose.

30 minutes later

You sit back down on your recliner, which you had moved back to its original position. Both the cats were eating happily as you had made them pasta with meatballs. As you watch them eat, you can't help but feel satisfied. You haven't interacted with another person on this level in almost 2 years, always using self checkout and only ever talking to people over the internet. Now you had two girls in your company. Well, a girl and an anthroid.

You see Vikna look back at you and you look down at the floor, not able to match her gaze. She sniggers at you as you turn the chair back around. Guess girls are the same even in a magical furry world of sci-fi. You sit down in the chair, twiddling your thumbs as you wait for them both to finish eating. When you look back, you see ARA making her way towards you. You look down at the ground before seeing her feet in front of you. She crouches onto the ground and looks you in the eye, causing you to look away anxiously. She walks back into your line of sight, prompting you to just close your eyes and sit back in the seat.

“Miss Vikna, this man is showing signs of social anxiety not previously present. I believe your demeaning laugh had something to do with it. If I were you, I'd apologize to him.” ARA tells Vikna.

“He was staring at me.” Vikna replies. “I don't like it when people stare. Especially people like him.”

You sigh, getting off the chair and looking at Vikna.

“There's a bed in that room over there.” You say, pointing to the room in front of you. “You and ARA can rest there. I'm going to sleep.”

You grab your rifle and walk to the steps, climbing up the stairs towards the top. When you reach the top, you see ARA looking up at you, confused.

“Aren't you going to eat?” She asks.

“I'm not hungry.” You lie.

“Bullshit, get back down here and eat.” Vikna says.

“And endure more verbal abuse? I'd rather go to sleep hungry.” You tell her. “I honestly thought you'd be nicer.”

You enter your own room and close the door, setting the rifle down between the bed and the dresser. When you sit down on the bed, it feels like it caves under your immense weight. You grasp your blanket and wrap yourself in it, crying silently to yourself as you listen to them talk about you.

Vikna

You watch as Jack walks off into his bedroom, having thrown you for a loop. What'd he mean by 'I honestly thought you'd be nicer.'? How the hell did he know you and ARA? You'd have to get to the bottom of this eventually.

“Smooth.” ARA says condescendingly.

“What?” You ask. “He was being a creep.”

“You do realize that man just gave us food and shelter after we tried to steal from him, right?” ARA asks. “He could've shot you and I before we could even react. I didn't even hear him coming and could've been seriously damaged by the weapon if he chose to pull the trigger. That doesn't even begin to describe what would've happened to you.”

“So you're saying that I should care because he didn't shoot us? He obviously knew us and that only further reinforces my point. He's a fat, creepy, mental defective who looks like he plays too many video games.” You reply. “I should just kill him and finish what his heart is starting.”

“Miss Vikna!” ARA yells. “What is with you today?!”

“I...don't know.” You say, sighing deeply. “I just want to go back home already. This place gives me the-”

There's a massive bang on the side of the house, seeming to shake whatever plates he had in a cabinet near the table. You look around the house, rotating your ears to find the source of the sound. You hear a commotion from Jacks room and hear the door open, the fat man making his way back down the stairs with his gun.

“Get behind the couch.” He tells you.

“What?” You ask.

“GET BEHIND THE COUCH!” He orders, pointing to the couch.

You really don't want to do what the ugly man says, but ARA pulls you along anyways.

“Look at that, the retard has some stupid furry friends over!” A man says from behind you. “I bet they're all talking about stupid shit like dog dicks.”

ARA holds you down behind the couch as Jack moves past it, turning off the lights.

“We're taking your TV whether you like it or not! Make it easy for us this time and we won't break your door!” The man from outside yells.

“Get the fuck away from my house you fucking assholes!” Jack replies, a click being heard as he rushes back towards the door.

You watch him make his way to the door you both came in, seeing the door knob is broken. He shoots you a glare and opens the broken door silently, the green glow of a mercury lamp illuminating him as he quietly made his way down what you assume is the porch. You hear a door open and then everything goes quiet.

You hear some faint thuds and groans of pain as something strikes the intruders down. You can't tell if it's Jack or if it's something else.

“What?” You hear faintly come from outside.

“Were these men bothering you?” Another, more familiar voice asks.

“Jesus Christ.” Jack replies. “Come in, I'll talk more when we get inside.”

You hear footsteps come back down the porch as Jack and another figure walk down the wooden walkway. Jack comes through the doorway, allowing the mystery person to come through. He turns on the lights and you see the one person you didn't want to see here.

“Oh my god, can this day get any worse?” You say, putting your hands to your face.

It was Ayn. Fucking, Ayn. First it was ARA and now this? Why did she have to follow you through? She can't just leave you alone and let you do your own thing? You just wanted to get away from the Rishan god dammit!

“Hey, are you hungry? I have some left over spaghetti that should still be warm on the counter.” Jack says, presumably talking to Ayn.

“Thanks sweetie.” She tells him. “I'm fine for now, I'd just like to know if you have some place for me to sleep.”

“I'd say go sleep with Vikna, but I think that would put her in an even worse mood.” He replies. “There's a nice bed down in the basement that you can have to yourself if you'd like. Otherwise there's the couch and my recliner.”

“Thanks for the help Habibi. I'll sleep downstairs for now.” She says, as you hear her walk to your left.

“Wait, I need to ask you something.” Jack says. “How many more are coming?”

“Hmm? Oh, I think Zofie said she was coming with Nytro.” Ayn says.

You uncover your eyes just in time to see Jack lean against the wall, making it groan and crackle under his weight.

“Dammit.” He says. “Now I'm gonna need to go get the rubber mat.”

“Hmm, so you know who Nytro is then?” Ayn asks.

“Yes, I know who he is. I also know that any time he's around you or Zofie the room gets very dirty.” Jack replies. “I'm not gonna ask you to suppress your urges for my sake, but just try to keep the noise down. The walls are very thin.”

He looks over to you and your ears fold back as you realize he heard everything you said about him. Ayn notices this and cocks her head.

“What's the deal with you two?” She asks.

“He's a creep.” You tell her.

“Let's leave it at that until morning.” He replies. “I'll be up in my office if you three need me for anything, since now I don't feel safe sleeping in my own bed.”

“Oh, uh, alright.” Ayn says, even more confused. “I'll be off to bed now.”

Jack nods and takes his rifle upstairs, looking back at you every now and again with paranoid glances. God, he really does have issues.

Jack

You open up your chat program and look to see at least 4 of your friends are online now. You begin typing in the chat and hit enter.

“Guys, you won't believe what's going on.” You type.

…

One of your friends who was in the military replies immediately.

“retard” He replies.

“This is fucking serious dude. They're in my house and talking to me.” You tell him.

“you know it's kind of autistic to talk about your waifu as if they're real, right?” He asks.

“Fuck you retard I'm taking a picture.” You say, grabbing your phone.

You put the speaker on silent and sneak out of your room, hearing ARA and Vikna conversing about something.

“I think you should be a little nicer to Jack, he's given us food, shelter, and didn't even shoot us when he had the chance.” ARA tells Vikna.

“But he's such a creep! Doesn't it bother you that he knew our names before we even knew what species he was?” Vikna asks.

You take a video and record the next moments on video.

“No, it doesn't bother me because it makes communication with him easier. I don't care if he's seen me before or heard of me before, as I have nothing to hide.” ARA tells her. “I'm also a well documented AI construct made by one of the most prolific manufacturers in the entire Rishan galaxy. I'm proud that people outside of the galaxy have heard of me as well as you. We must be pretty popular for that to be the case.”

You stop the recording and walk back into your office, closing the door and putting your earbuds on. You send the video over the chat program and it's posted. The response is immediate both from your army buddy and a fellow writer.

“Jesus dude, what the fuck is this?” Your writer friend asks.

“is this some sort of video editing bullshit?” Your military friend asks.

“It's not edited. How the fuck could I edit something like this in such a short time?” You ask in return.

“Careful not to lewd red kitty, Fluff might get mad.” Your writer friend quips.

Your friend goes silent and your army friend speaks up.

“are they giving you any trouble?” He asks.

“No, not really. Vikna threatened to kill me in my sleep and ARA is just, well, there.” You reply. “Dunno what to do.”

You hear the door to your room open and draw your pistol, pointing it towards the newly created opening.

“Don't worry, it's just me.” ARA tells you. “Do you mind if I enter?”

You sigh, setting your gun down and waving her in. She smiles gently, entering your computer room and looking around.

“Clean, just like the rest of the house.” She says. “Is this how it is everywhere on this planet?”

“No, I just get really bored.” You tell her. “I have nothing to do all day but go outside, use my computer and clean. First two get boring after you do it for a while, so I completely cleaned the entire house in about a week.”

“Because you were bored? Interesting.” She says, putting a finger to her chin and pondering. “Miss Vikna doesn't even clean when she's asked.”

You just shake your head before hearing the distinct sound of a message popping up.

“I just looked outside and saw a few anthros roaming around confused. What the hell is happening?” Your writer friend asks.

“What're you doing?” ARA asks, looking at the screen. “Are you messaging people?”

“Yeah, why?” You ask.

“You're not contacting the authorities, are you?” She asks in return.

You smirk and begin typing again.

“Hey, you guys aren't the cops, right?” You ask.

“lol no.” Your mil friend replies.

“No, why?” Your writing friend asks.

“Just wondering. ARA asked.” You reply. “Go find someone man, I'm sure they probably want someone to help them right about now. I've got shit to do. Stay safe and find someone you like.”

“Alright, will keep you posted.” Your friend tells you.

You smile at that and turn back to ARA.

“You need something?” You ask.

“No, I'm just coming up to apologize for miss Vikna's behavior. We both appreciate the help and thank you for being so generous.” She tells you.

“That's actually really weird coming from you ARA. I thought you were supposed to be the one who was oblivious to everything.” You say, confused.

“That was 2 years ago. I have become quite adept at reading emotions and reacting accordingly. I've even become a bit more, uh, sentient since then.” She tells you. “Don't go telling Kaltag though.”

You nod and ARA smiles.

“Thank you for telling me that.” You tell her. “I'm glad you both don't hate me. Speaking of which, do you think I'm a fat creep?”

“Well, I certainly think it would be best if you lost a few pounds, but other than that, I don't think you're a creep.” She says with a sweet smile. “I am curious though. How do you know about us?”

Your first thought was to say porn, but that would end in you being electrocuted to death. You instead, decide to show her how.

“There's an artist on the internet known as FluffKevlar, he, well, created all of you. Don't go telling Vikna, as she doesn't have the clearance to know.” You tell her, lying about the clearance to keep her mouth shut. “Let's say hello, shall we?”

You open up the private chat you had with Fluff and see he's on right now. It's strange, since he's usually offline right now. You begin typing your message.

“Hey Fluff, it's Jack, how're things?” You ask.

The reply is immediate.

“Great, I'm just dealing with something right now.” He says cryptically.

“Cool, I have a picture to show you. It's really important.” You tell him.

You pull out your phone and point it towards ARA.

“Mind if I take a picture?” You ask.

“I don't mind.” She says, smiling sweetly.

You take the picture and upload it to the chat, getting an immediate response.

“Whoa, you got ARA? I have Twix and Nytro over here. Is anybody else with you?” He asks.

You're taken aback by that. He got Nytro? Is this something that's happening across the country?

“I have Vikna, Ayn, and Zofie is supposed to be here any second now.” You say.

“Lucky guy. Just don't have sex with ARA, okay?” He asks. “Don't want you ruining her innocence.”

“Hey man, if she says yes, I'm not saying no.” You tell him, more out of spite for your last story than actually meaning it.

“I'm serious.” He replies. “Don't do it.”

“Fine, you got man.” You tell him, closing the chat.

“What do you mean 'if I say yes'?” ARA asks curiously.

“It's exactly as it sounds.” You tell her. “If you say yes, I'm probably not going to say no. However, I really don't expect you to say yes, so it's not something to worry about.”

“So you're speaking literally and not figuratively?” ARA asks.

“Yeah, I hear it's the best way to speak to you.” You reply. “So, are you having an existential crisis yet?”

“No, on top of being unable to have an existential crisis, I don't think this information would bring me to a point where I would question my existence. Why do you ask?” She asks.

“Just making sure you're not going to have a conniption.” You tell her.

“I will try my best not to become angry.” ARA says with a cute smile.

“ARA, Zofie just arrived!” Vikna yells from the living room.

“Do you want to meet Zofie?” ARA asks.

“Sure.” You say, hefting yourself out of your chair.

You both walk down the hallway to the stairs, walking down them as you look at Vikna and Zofie. Vikna sees you coming and scowls, looking to the side of you as Zofies ears droop even more.

“Did I do something wrong?” Zofie asks in her mild German accent.

“No, nothing's wrong.” You reply, walking towards her. “You're Zofie, right?”

Zofie turns and her eyes go wide in surprise.

“J-ja.” She manages to squeak out.

“Hey, don't worry. I'm not going to hurt you.” You say slowly, putting your hands in front of you. “You don't need to be scared. I'm not a monster.”

“O-oh, you're the one who spoke.” She says, a bit relieved. “S-still, what are you? Who are you?”

“I'm a human named Jack.” You tell her, waving gently. “Hello.”

She smiles at your gesture and you sit down in your recliner. She takes a seat next to Vikna with ARA sitting at the end of the couch.

“Wait, how do you know me?” She asks, looking puzzled.

“He's a creep.” Vikna replies.

“W-what?” She asks.

“Viknas answer is probably going to be a bit easier on you right now than my own answer, so just leave it at that.” You tell her cryptically.

“W-well, you don't seem creepy. I mean, I've met real creeps in my bakery and they aren't nearly as, well, civil as you are.” She tells you. “Weird perverts who want to just pull me off to their house and have their way with me.”

“Well, until you are all settled in, your explanation will be that I'm a creep.” You tell her. “Now, it's almost 1 in the morning and we have 24 hour days. Zofie, you can sleep in my bedroom. I'll sleep on the couch while everyone else rests.”

“Wait, didn't you just say you were a creep?” Zofie asks.

“First off, I didn't say that, Vikna did. Secondly, saying you're something and actually being something are two different things.” You tell her. “If you want, you can sleep on the couch if it makes you feel safer.”

“Oh, no, that's fine.” Zofie says.

“Well, it's decided.” You say, immediately laying back in the recliner. “I'll just lay down here until you two go to sleep.”

You point over at Vikna and ARA before putting the backrest back all the way. When you close your eyes, you immediately fall asleep.

Ayn

You're awoken by the faint sound of shouting above you. This immediately starts raising red flags, prompting you to get up from the bed Jack had given you. You almost throw the door open, rushing down the pathway and up the stairs. When you reach the top, you see Vikna and ARA looking at Jack, who's in a semi-fetal position on the chair. Vikna notices you and sighs.

“He's been yelling like this for the past 10 minutes.” Vikna tells you. “We tried waking him, but he won't wake up.”

“That's because he's awake.” You say, walking past them. “Habibi, it's Ayn. Are you okay?”

He continues to scream, covering his face with his hands as he lets out terrified shouts in a manner unfitting of a man. You crouch down beside him and put a hand on his shoulder.

“Come on sweetie, talk to me.” You coo gently, stroking his hair with your other hand.

He immediately jumps into your arms, burying his face in your shoulder as he begins to cry desperately. He was pretty heavy, but that wasn't a problem for you. His tears begin to wet your fur down as the cries begin to wain ever so slightly. You pull him off the chair and upright, bending your knees a bit so he could still reach your shoulder. Poor guy, he must be having a rough time with all the stuff that's been happening.

When his cries finally die down, he lets go and pulls away, sniffling and wiping his nose.

“T-thank you.” He says. “Sorry I woke you up.”

“It's fine sweetie. You want to come and sleep with me?” You ask. “We can just lay together if you'd like.”

He nods and you smile gently, watching him walk towards and turn down the steps. You look back at Vikna and she speaks.

“Slut.” Is all she says.

“Not this time Habibi'ti.” You say, walking back to the steps before turning back again. “Sex isn't what he needs right now. At least, not this second.”

You walk down the steps after Jack as he walks lazily towards the bedroom. He was a very, uh, rotund man. Not unlike your father. However, you knew that it wasn't all just fat underneath that skin of his. You definitely felt muscles in him, especially on his back. You'd have to feel him up a bit more before you decide how strong he was.

When you get inside the bedroom, you already see him on the bed, facing away from you. His butt was definitely not small. It might even put your own ass to shame if you measured it up. However, that wasn't the point of this. This was to make him comfortable and to determine how strong he is.

You turn out the lights and navigate your way to the bed by touch, feeling the bed with your finger tips as you raise a knee to mount it. When you enter the bed, you make your way over to Jack, hearing him sniffle a bit as you finally feel his back. You press your large chest against his back and hear him inhale sharply, surprised by you. After he calms down a bit, you begin to run your fingers along his arms. There was definitely muscle along his arms at some point, indicating he used to be strong. Now there was just some fat and leftover muscles.

You move your hands down to his back, running your fingers along them as he shudders. His back was the same as his arms. Strong at one point, but no longer as strong. Had he fallen out of shape? You move your hands past his butt, confirming it was, indeed, large before moving to his legs. They were still very muscular, but you could tell they were even more so at some point in time.

“Why are you touching me like this?” He asks.

“I'm feeling you up Habibi.” You reply.

He tenses up at the word 'habibi' and relaxes a bit afterwards.

“What's wrong?” You ask. “Do you not like that word?”

“Very bad people here use that word.” He says, about to say more when he stops himself.

“What people?” You ask, now concerned.

“The kind of people who stone women for not completely covering up.” He replies, hatred dripping from his voice. “I don't want to talk about this any more. It hurts to bring up.”

You nod, laying back down in the bed he's given you. You'd have to show him a good time later. Maybe give him a little something extra along the way.

Jack

The next morning

You slowly wake yourself up as the soft mass in your arms is pulled closer by you. It was so soft and warm that you didn't want to let go. You feel a few thumps on the bed as you begin stroking the pillow, confusing you slightly. When you open your eyes, a pair of eyes are staring back into yours.

“Whoa!” You shout, pushing away as the eyes widen in surprise.

Then, it all comes flooding back to you. Vikna, ARA, Zofie, and Ayn. Ayn picked you up last night after something happened and took you downstairs. Then she...wait, did she really do what you remember her doing? You check under your pants and see your cock is still a pretty impressive size when it's soft.

“That all happened?” You ask. “I didn't just have a wet dream?”

Ayn nods and pulls you back into her.

“I'm sorry I made you feel so terrible last night. I was honestly just curious about you and got carried away.” She says, rubbing her cheek against yours. “I hope you can forgive me.”

You smile and rub behind her ears, which she takes an immediate liking to.

“It's okay. I just didn't want to disappoint you.” You reply. “There's nothing to be sorry for.”

“You're too kind.” She says, letting you go.

You smile at that and slide yourself off the bed.

“Where are you going?” She asks.

“The gym. Gonna start working out again.” You say. “Need to do some, uh, physical training.”

“Why?” She asks, looking you over before smiling. “I think you're perfect the way you are.”

“When I walk for more than 3 hours straight, my feet are in so much pain that I feel like dying. It was a big reason why the house took over a week to clean instead of a few days like I planned.” You say, looking at the floor at the foot of the bed. “Speaking of cleaning, I'm probably gonna need to steam clean the floors again.”

“Yeah, sorry about that too. I usually set out a towel or something along the floor, but you really needed that release.” She says, her ears folding back a little in embarrassment. “Never seen somebody cum that many times in such a short time. Took everything I had to not force you inside me. Still, sorry about the carpet.”

“Hey, it's not an issue.” You tell her. “Gives me something to do.”

You're about to leave when you feel your phone vibrating in your pocket. You slept in your clothes? Gross. When you pull your phone out, you see who's calling. Your dad. You slide the answer button over and put the phone to your ear.

“Hello?” You ask.

“Hey, son. How are ya?” He asks, his words slurring due to his stroke.

“Doing fine. You?” You ask.

“Great. Just about to get discharged from this retirement home to live in adult foster care. How's everything going over there?” He asks.

“Fine, I just had some, uh, people come over to my house.” You tell him, continuing to walk up the stairs with Ayn in tow. “Don't worry, they're good people.”

“What about your mom and Kelly?” Dad asks. “They come home yet?”

“Still on a business trip.” You reply, climbing the stairs. “I've been keeping the house warm and running for them. Hope they come back soon.”

“Well, I wanted you to come up and see me. Think you can do that?” He asks.

“Dad, I have people over. I don't know if it's wise to just leave them here.” You say as you enter the living room, catching everyone's attention.

“Well, son, you can bring them along if you'd like.” He says before something is heard in the background. “If you change your mind, call me back. I gotta go. Love you.”

“Love you too dad.” You say. “Bye.”

You hang up the phone and put it in your pocket, looking around the room.

“Das ist so sweet.” Zofie says with a genuine smile.

Vikna just snickers at you as ARA looks around the room in confusion.

“Don't let her get you down.” Ayn says behind you.

When you turn around, Ayn is at eye level with you.

“Did you get shorter?” You ask.

“No, I told you last night. You got taller.” She says with a smile.

You shrug, not wanting to question it further. You were taller. Your back hurt a bit, but you guess it was just fatigue.

“Who's Kelly?” Ayn asks.

“My sister.” You reply, walking over to the leather chair.

“Is she cute?” She asks.

“I don't know.” You reply.

“Have you two ever, you know...” Ayn says trailing off.

You feel your face contort involuntarily into a look of pure disgust.

“No.” You reply, that same disgust dripping from your voice.

“R-right.” Ayn says, clearing her throat. “Anyways, what was that about a business trip?”

“My mother and sister went off on a business trip 3 years ago and said to keep the house ready for them. I've been waiting for 3 years, biding my time by looking for jobs, working those jobs, quitting the jobs, and using my computer. Even did a...well...nevermind.” You tell them. “Been living off my VA checks for the past 5 months now, so there's that.”

You look around the room and the entire atmosphere changed. Everyone looked around the room awkwardly, almost as if they were waiting for something.

“Jack...your family, have they called you at all?” Ayn asks.

“No, but they're probably busy.” You reply sadly. “I tried calling them, but the number is out of service.”

Everyone inhales sharply.

“Jack...they're not coming back.” Ayn says sadly. “They're gone. They left you.”

“W-what?” You ask. “Why?”

“I wonder why.” Vikna says.

“Shut your muzzle.” Ayn tells her. “You're not helping the situation. Just sit there and be quiet.”

Vikna crosses her arms and rolls her eyes. Ayn growls a bit before calming herself down, turning back to you.

“Think about it. They haven't called you in over 3 years. The numbers you keep trying to call are dead, they haven't so much as sent a letter or an e-mail telling you they're okay. Do you think they'd at least try to call you if they were really coming back?” She asks. “Were they mean to you?”

“Sometimes they'd yell at me for no reason, but that's just girls.” You say before realizing what came out of your mouth. “I mean, not you girls! You're different!”

Ayn puts a hand on your shoulder and rubs it gently.

“Jack, they abandoned you. How old are you?” She asks curiously.

“27. I'm 27 now.” You tell her. “I'm gonna be 28 this year.”

“Do you own this house?” Ayn asks.

“Probably lived with his mom his whole life.” Vikna quips.

Well, she's not really wrong. Ayn takes her hand off your shoulder and walks over to Vikna.

“Shut up.” She says, putting a hand over Viknas muzzle. “Or I'm going to break your muzzle.”

Vikna nods and Ayn lets go walking back to you. She picks you up off the chair and pulls you into a hug.

“I'm so sorry.” She says, rubbing your back gently.

You just hold her close to you, the realization coming over you like a waterfall of emotion. However, you didn't cry. Those tears dried up long ago.

“Speaking of losing things, why'd you wake up last night and scream for 10 minutes straight? I lost sleep because of that.” Vikna tells you.

Ayn lets go and pulls away from you, but you put a hand on her shoulder. She looks back at you, prompting you to shake your head. She nods, allowing you to walk past and crouch down in front of the couch. You grab your phone and call your dad back.

“Hello?” He asks.

“Hey dad, I changed my mind.” You tell him. “Mind if I bring a friend along?”

“Sure, that's fine.” He says, obviously excited to see his son again. “What's his name?”

“Her name is Vikna.” You reply.

“Is she your girlfriend?” Dad asks, even more excited.

“No, she's a girl and my friend, but she's definitely not my girlfriend.” You reply. “I'll call you when I get close.”

“Alright, son. Take your time. I got all day.” He tells you happily.

“Okay, see you later dad.” You tell him. “Love you.”

“Love you too son, bye bye now.” He replies.

You hang up the phone and Vikna gives you a death glare.

“I'm not going.” She says, looking off to the side.

“Yes you are.” Ayn and Zofie say at the same time.

“Seriously?! You're on the side of this creep?!” She asks loudly.

You grab her shoulders and squeeze them tight. You're not going to let her dig this hole any deeper.

“Enough of this bullshit. You're an adult now Vikna. Not a toddler going through a temper tantrum. Grow up.” You tell her, letting go of her muzzle. “You are going to come with me whether you like it or not.”

“Why should I trust that you won't just take me off to a random cave and rape me?” She asks. “How do I know you're not going to murder me?”

“You want me to answer your question?” You ask.

She nods.

“Then you're coming with me.” You tell her. “My dad can help explain what I'm going to tell you when we get there.”

She rolls her eyes and you get off the floor, offering her a hand. She takes it and you help her off the couch. You walk over to the counter, grabbing your keys and wallet before turning back.

“Ayn, you're in charge while I'm gone. Zofie, every single piece of meat in this house needs to be cooked before it can be eaten. We don't have food synths and all the meat comes from real cows.” You tell her. “Uh, feral cows. Not furry cows.”

“Ja, I understand.” She replies. “See you soon!”

You smile back and lead Vikna to the laundry room, opening the door and allowing her to walk through. She walks out through the door and you follow, closing and locking the door. When you turn around, you see Vikna waiting by the door to your car. You take your key out and put it in the lock, unlocking the door. Vikna opens it and sniffs inside.

“I smell a bit of fast food. No wonder you put on some pounds.” She says more to herself than you.

“Hey, I used to work at that fast food place, don't judge me for not being able to leave at lunch.” You tell her.

She just rolls her eyes and you walk over to the garage door, hefting it up before holding it steady. Once it's up, you walk back to the drivers side of the car, opening the door and lowering yourself down. When you try to pull yourself back into the car, you slam your head into the door ceiling, much to Viknas amusement.

“Hey, I just grew 3 inches over night, cut me some slack.” You say, lowering the seat.

When it lowers completely, you slouch yourself over in the drivers seat.

“I feel like mister Incredible in this thing.” You say.

“Who's that?” Vikna asks.

“From a super hero cartoon a long time ago.” You tell her. “Wish I was as strong as him.”

“You know, we actually have super heroes around the Rishan galaxy, right?” Vikna asks. “Guys who wear tight pants and spandex, running around the city to stop crime with their magic.”

“I never knew that.” You tell her. “Has it always been like that?”

“It's actually pretty recent.” She says, looking out the window at the wall.

You smile at that, fiddling with the key on your Malibu before getting it to start.

“Well, I'm gonna go and get a better car, alright?” You ask.

“Wait, you're just going to buy another car?” She asks.

“Sure. I've been saving up for a new one for a while now, so I guess now is the time to buy one.” You tell her. “This car I'm driving is over twenty years old anyways.”

She rolls her eyes again and you pull the shift lever back, backing out of the garage.

“Wait, why aren't we lifting off the ground?” She asks.

“Cars don't hover here. We still use wheels.” You reply. “We have the tech to make them, it's just less expensive to use wheels.”

“Bunch of primitives.” She says, looking back out the window.

You smile at that, accelerating down the driveway before turning the wheel to the left. You feel yourself slide on the icy snow as your car's front spins out slightly. You correct it in a maneuver you've done many times before, straightening out as you shift into drive. The slush box GM calls a transmission finally shifts into drive and you're both off.

“Jesus, what's your problem?!” Vikna asks loudly.

“It's something I do all the time in the winter.” You tell her. “Faster and safer than slowly backing out and sliding into a snow bank. I'm only trying to keep from slipping into the snowbank.”

“Well, your attempt to impress me failed.” She says.

You roll your eyes and drive down the driveway. It has a few twists and turns in its quarter mile length as you drive down it. You turn on the radio, tuning it to your usual station before turning the volume up to a comfortable level.


	2. Chapter 1: Veteran of a Foreign War

After about 20 minutes of driving, you arrive at the nearest building to your house. A car dealership. You pull into the lot and immediately begin looking around.

“Alright, I need something bigger than this car.” You say to yourself, looking at the selection of SUVs in stock. “What do you think? I already have a truck, so maybe a larger car or an SUV.”

“What's an SUV?” Vikna asks.

You point to a Suburban and she cocks her head.

“What's the purpose of something that big?” She asks.

“Some people have lots and lots of kids.” You reply. “Or they just want to haul people around.”

You point to a smaller Tahoe and a Cherokee.

“Those are also SUVs. Not nearly as large, but less, uh, utilitarian.” You tell her.

“So, what does it stand for?” She asks as you make a lap around the lot.

“Sport Utility Vehicle.” You reply. “Now it's more of a van for men instead of the offroad machine it used to be.”

She smirks at that before speaking.

“So you plan on having kids?” She asks.

You chuckle at that and shake your head.

“Nope. Don't have the patience for it.” You reply.

Just as you say that, the dealer comes out and rolls his eyes. He knows you from the numerous times you came over to test drive cars he knew you couldn't afford. However, you were here to buy now. You roll down your window and give him a friendly smile.

“What is it now Jack?” He asks.

You take out your check book and tear out a check, giving him the same friendly smile.

“You got anything bigger than this car? I think I had a growth spurt and am kind of big for this car now.” You tell him.

He raises an eyebrow, not buying the fact that you actually want to buy a car.

“Who's that in the passengers seat? Someone doing cosplay?” The Asian man asks.

Vikna turns around and gives him a condescending smile before turning back around. You look back at the man and he's standing back from the car now.

“There's a cat in your car.” He says. “It just smiled at me, am I crazy?”

“Her name is Vikna.” You tell him. “She just came in last night. Am I still able to buy a car or not?”

“Y-yeah, what are you looking for?” He asks.

“You still have that Taurus SHO?” You ask.

“Y-yeah, it's still here.” He says, pointing to the end of the lot. “Wanna take it for a test drive?”

“Nah, I already drove it and liked it.” You tell him. “How much was it again?”

“Well, it's a 2019, so it's going to be about 24 grand.” He says.

“That car has sat on the lot for four years dude. I think bringing it down to an even twenty grand is a better offer to get it off the lot.” You tell him. “Hell, I'll go down to the bank and draw twenty grand in cash right now.”

“Fine, I'll take the twenty grand check.” He says. “Want to trade your car in too?”

“Yeah, just give me some time to move all the stuff inside to the other car.” You tell him.

“Alright, that'll bump it down to nineteen grand.” He says.

You write down 19000 on the check and completely spell out nineteen thousand on it as well. You hand the check to him and he smiles, actually having made a sale.

“Alright, I'll go and get the title ready while you and your, um, friend, move the stuff from your car to your new car.” He says, making his way back to the building as you both exit the car.

“Well, that was relatively cheap.” She tells you. “nineteen thousand credits back home isn't much for a vehicle.”

You nod, releasing the trunk and walking to the back of your car. When Vikna looks in your trunk, she steps back in surprise. On the top of your trunk was a rack with a shotgun and a rifle. There was also 2 hydraulic rams and a quarter inch of steel plate behind it.

“What's with the guns?” She asks.

“I'm paranoid, of course.” You say, removing the shotgun and rifle from the mounts.

You grab some of the bags that sat in the back as well, walking them over to the Taurus and open the door, hitting the trunk release.

“Hey! What's with the guns?!” The dealer asks as you set them in the back.

“They were in my car!” You reply. “You can take the car, but you're not taking the guns!”

You put the guns and bags inside the car, feeling the car bounce a bit before you head back over to the Malibu. You grab some more bags out and the Asian man closes the heavy trunk with a slam. He begins removing the license plate as you make your way back to the Taurus, putting the bags inside the trunk before closing it gently.

“Gonna need to add some plating and a mount to this one too.” You say to yourself. “Need to armor up the doors as well.”

“Why?” Vikna asks.

“I just told you. My entire house is surrounded in almost an inch of armor plating.” You tell her. “Nothing short of an anti armor rocket is getting through it.”

“You're weird.” She says, walking over to the side of the car.

The Asian dealer mounts the license plate on the back, screwing it on tight before handing you the key fob. You take your car key off the key chain and hand it to him, putting the key fob on your key chain.

“Thanks man.” You tell him as he hands you the title. “Have a nice day.”

“Yeah, you too.” He replies, allowing you to sit down in the car.

When you sit down, you adjust the seat to your liking and push the start button. The V6 starts up with a deep and throaty rumble, causing you to grin. The whine of the turbo comes through the firewall, faint, but still there.

“Jeez, I thought this was just a regular old car.” She says, looking around it.

“Nope. You ever heard of the term sleeper before?” You ask.

“No, why?” She asks.

“Hey, is this thing broken in?!” You ask after rolling the window down.

The dealer gives you a thumbs up and you grin like a mad man, rolling the windows back up as you do.

“Let me show you.” You tell her.

You put the gear selector in drive and drive off to the exit, looking left and right before turning onto the road. You count on your fingers as you putt along the road.

“Guess I know what you mean by sleeper.” She says, putting an elbow on the arm rest and looking out the window.

“When you're just driving down the road, it's like a normal car. Sort of like it's sleeping.” You tell her, gripping the steering wheel. “But when this car wakes up...”

You stomp on the gas hearing the tires squeak in protest. Vikna is pushed back into her seat as you begin accelerating down the road, turning down the bend and going well over the speed limit.

“It's really fun to drive!” You finish.

The car roars down the road, the turbo whining as you continue to accelerate past 90 on the open road.

“I understand! Just slow down!” Vikna yells over the engine.

You chuckle and slow down, turning down the road that leads back to your house.

“You know, you need to stop trying to impress me.” Vikna tells you, having calmed down by now.

“Hey, look at me.” You tell her, looking over at her.

She looks at you and crosses her arms.

“Alright, I want you to hold onto your seat, because this revelation is going to rock your world. Ready?” You ask.

“Yeah, what?” She asks.

“I, are you still listening? I, like to have, fun.” You tell her. “I am not trying, to impress you. The world does not revolve around you.”

“Whatever.” She says, looking back out the window as you make your way back to the house, having forgotten to give Ayn a phone.

30 minutes later

You arrive back at the house to Ayn coming outside with a large board.

“Whoa whoa whoa!” You shout, stopping the car and getting out. “You hit this car and I'll skin you alive.”

“Jesus, a little warning would be nice.” Ayn tells you, putting the board down.

“Do you always go around smashing up peoples cars?” You ask with a smile.

“Only on occasion.” She replies. “Why'd you come back?”

“Well, because I wanted to give you a phone and my number.” You tell her.

“You know, it's supposed to be the other way around Habi-I mean, sweetie.” She says with a smirk.

“The phone or the number?” You ask with your own smirk.

“You're quick as a whip, aren't you?” She asks in return.

“Only on occasion.” You reply. “Now, let's get back inside and see if you managed to destroy the house in the hour I was gone.”

You all walk inside and see ARA sitting on the table.

“ARA, please get off ze table.” Zofie says, stomping her foot on the floor in frustration.

“I don't want to though. You don't have proper authorization to give me orders.” ARA says, crossing her arms and remaining on the table.

“Get off my table or you're cleaning it.” You reply, getting both of their attention.

ARA immediately dismounts the table and smiles awkwardly.

“Sorry. I promise I'm completely sterile.” She says, looking at the floor.

“That's not what I'm worried about.” You reply, looking for cracks on the counter top. “It's something you tell somebody who's sitting on the table. I'm just worried you might break it, since the counter isn't really designed to be sat on.”

You find no cracks in the stone counter top and smile, looking back to Ayn. You pull out a smart phone you never use and hand it to her.

“My number is in the contacts. I'm sure you can figure out how a phone works.” You tell her, pulling out your own flip phone. “I'll answer the phone if I'm not in the middle of something or sleeping.”

“Alright, anything else?” Ayn asks.

“Zofie, I've got some cook books in the back room. Feel free to use them. Keep them if you want.” You reply, talking to Zofie instead. “ARA, don't destroy anything. Do as Ayn and Zofie say or I'm not taking you to a power substation for charging. The TV is in the living room. HDMI one is for the internet TV and HDMI two is for the satellite TV. You can look through shows you like and browse through channels if you want.”

You're about to turn around and leave again, but remember a very important thing you were going to say.

“Oh, one more thing. Stay off my computer. All of you. I don't want to come back here with everyone at my throat.” You tell everyone before quieting yourself to a mumble. “I really don't want to fight anyone.”

“What was that last bit?” Ayn asks.

“Nothing, just mumbling to myself.” You reply. “Sorry.”

She shakes her head and you walk past, twirling the key fob around.

1 hour later

You're listening to some old songs on the radio, having been on the road for a while now. You even began quietly singing along to it. That is until Vikna spoke for the first time during the entire road trip.

“Have you ever had a job in your life?” Vikna asks.

You turn down the radio and smile, finally able to talk to Vikna without her getting pouty.

“Yeah, I was-” You say, before holding yourself back. “An electrician for a while.”

“Really? You actually had a job?” She asks.

“Yeah, watched some dude fry himself on a main line.” You reply. “That was a fun day. Had to run up and down the elevator to put out the fire with fire extinguishers.”

“You talk about that guy dying as if it was normal.” She says, slightly worried.

“Well, he was an idiot who wanted to grab a main line for a joke. Ended up paying for it with his life.” You tell her. “I also worked at a couple fast food restaurants before deciding that doing fast food sucked. Moved into an office job and worked by making spreadsheets and crunching numbers.”

“Hmm, guess I misjudged you slightly.” She tells you.

“I get that a lot.” You say. “Oh! I almost forgot, I have a plane too.”

“You have an aircraft?” She asks, repeating what you just said.

“Yeah. It's a piston engine prop aircraft though. Nothing like what you guys have back in the Rishan galaxy.” You reply. “Barely reaches 30 thousand feet, even if I try to push it higher.”

“Sounds pretty pitiful if you ask me.” She says, going back to her old self again.

“I get it, nothing impresses you.” You tell her. “Don't need this shit every time I try and tell you about something that makes me happy. What about you? Do you have anything that makes you happy, or are you just perpetually angry all the time with no joy in your life?”

“I-I have things that make me happy!” She yells in protest.

“Like what?” You ask.

“Like, uh, um, you know, going shopping!” She says, having found something after digging. “I also like talking with friends!”

“Uh huh, you have any hobbies?” You ask.

She immediately blushes red and looks away.

“N-no.” She says looking around the car.

“Really? I thought you played video games.” You tell her with a smirk.

“How did you find out?!” She asks loudly before cupping her mouth.

“Hey, it's fine. I play video games too.” You tell her.

“That's the problem.” She says, looking off at the trees on the side of the road.

You look back to the road and glance down at your speedometer. You're going about 95 miles an hour down the road, since it's been almost completely barren, save for a few cop cars who were going faster than you were. You look over at Vikna and she lets a deep sigh.

“I wish there were this many trees back where I live.” She tells you. “If there's one good thing I can say about your world, it's very beautiful.”

You smile at that before looking back at the road, your eyes going wide in surprise. There was something in front of you.

“HOLD ON!” You shout, thrusting your arm in front of Vikna as you slam your foot on the brakes.

You hold her back as she's pushed forward in her seat by the G-force of the stop. When you come to a complete stop, you see someone laying in the middle of the road. You put the car in park and look over at Vikna, who's still in shock.

“You okay?” You ask, removing your arm from her shoulder area.

“You pervert, you touched my boobs.” She says, crossing her arms indignantly.

“If I had done that, you would've mauled me by now.” You tell her.

You get out of the car, rushing to the front and seeing nothing was there.

“What the hell? I swear I saw something.” You say, looking behind the car and then under it. “Where'd it go?”

You shrug and get back in the car, buckling your seat belt.

“Did you find it?” She asks.

“No. Didn't hit it or there would be a massive dent in the grille.” You say.

Then, something began to feel a bit off. Something was in the road and it just vanished into thin air. What was going on? Then you felt the hair on the back of your neck stand up straight and you pushed the trunk release. You almost run over to the back of the car, grabbing your rifle and scanning the woods with it. Something was definitely off. Then, you hear the whispers and you just about throw yourself in the car.

“Is something wrong?” Vikna asks.

“We're not staying in these woods.” You reply, gunning the gas.

“What's going on?” She asks.

“I don't know about you, but we have things here that shouldn't exist, things that can't be explained.” You tell her. “We need to get out of here now.”

Just as you say that, an ear piercing screech emits from the woods, scaring both you and Vikna.

“I-if this is your idea of payback, I understand! Just stop trying to scare me like this! It won't work-AH!” Vikna screams in fright.

Before she could finish, another scream had scared her and you grip the shift lever, accidentally shifting down. Except, the car doesn't shift down. The display on the dash instead reads 'S' instead of the usual 'D'. The car immediately picks up its feet and you're off like a rocket, already going 100 as you see a police officer behind you.

“Fuck, not now!” You shout, beginning to slow down.

“Speed up!” A voice says behind you. “Do not slow down! You need to go fast down this road!”

You look behind you to see the police officer speeding past you, probably going at least 30 miles an hour faster than you. Was this the autobahn? You take the advice of the officer and continue speeding up, passing 130 and going up to 140. The engine was roaring by now and Vikna was shrunk down in her seat, scared to death by what's happening.

You pass the officer before seeing something blocking the road again, pulling to a different lane to avoid it. This was a mistake, as something slammed into the side of your car, sending you into a spin.

“We're gonna crash!” She shouts, not helping the situation at all.

Time seems to slow for you as you spin around, a turn coming up in the next mile. You follow your instinct, turning right to counter the steer before flicking off the traction control. You couldn't afford to stop here, not with whatever is out in the woods threatening you and Viknas safety.

When you're facing a larger part of the road, you gun the throttle, causing all the rear tires to break lose and the front ones to gain grip. You over hand steer the car to the left, bringing the Taurus back on track and flicking the traction control back on.

“Gonna take more than that to spin me out.” You say, speeding back up and rounding the turn.

“W-what?! How?!” Vikna asks, stupefied by the maneuver.

“I couldn't explain it to you if I tried.” You say, keeping the car at a steady 140. “You okay?”

“Y-yeah, I'm fine.” She says, a bit shaken up.

You both sit in the car, silent for a while as the police cruiser keeps pace behind you. You hear the occasional screech behind you, but only see shadows and figures moving in the woods.

“So, those trees, huh?” You ask.

“Yeah, they're very, uh, pretty.” She says, looking at the floor.

You begin to see other cars now and the police officer turns on his light bar, pulling you over. When you're stopped at the side of the road, you reach over Vikna and open the glove box, grabbing your title and drivers license. When the officer exits the car, he walks up to you and you roll the window down.

“Put your title and license away, I just want to talk.” He tells you.

You do as he says before looking back at him.

“I see you've found one of the anthros that have been popping up all over the place.” He says with a smile. “Don't worry, the government knows and isn't going to do anything with the visitors.”

“Well, uh, you mind explaining what that place was back there?” You ask.

“That was something that started popping up as well. Localized pockets of, uh, paranormal activity. I've been told they're sort of like the reverse of a worm hole. Instead of going through space in a shorter distance, you go through space in a longer distance. So far, it's only been localized here in Michigan, but everyone else is concerned.” The officer explains. “I was one of the officers appointed to this pocket because of my faith, but you seem to know how to deal with them as well.”

“Yeah, they've been around my house for as long as we've lived there.” You tell him. “Mind if I get going? I have somewhere to be.”

“Yeah, sure. Just make sure to drive the speed limit now.” He says with a smile. “Nice recovery by the way.”

“Thanks. See you later, sir.” You tell him.

He waves and you roll up the window, shifting back into drive and heading back onto the highway.

1 hour later.

You arrive at the old folks home, seeing your dad sitting outside and smoking. You pull into a parking spot and put the car into park, turning it off and unbuckling your seat belt.

“Who's that in the wheelchair?” Vikna asks.

“My dad.” You reply. “He shouldn't be in that thing.”

When you exit the car, your dad gets out of the wheel chair slowly, using the arms for stability as he does.

“Hey, son!” He yells over to you, waving as he does.

“Hey dad! I brought a friend with me!” You yell over to him before looking back in your car. “Stay here until I explain to him what you are. I'll call you over when he's ready.”

Vikna nods and you close the door, walking over to your dad. When you reach him, he looks up at you in surprise.

“You've grown.” He says, looking you up and down.

“Yeah, I, uh, had a growth spurt.” You reply awkwardly. “I see your fiber optics are doing just fine.”

“Yeah, they gave me a new version last week and I wanted you to come up and see them.” He says. “You got a new car?”

“I had to. My old Malibu was too small for me and I figured that out on my way up here. Traded it in on the spot.” You reply. “It's a Taurus SHO. I think it's a sport version of the Taurus. I don't remember”

“That's nice. Where's your lady friend?” Your dad asks.

“Well, uh, have you been hearing anything on the news about furry people popping up all around the world?” You ask dad.

“Yeah, why?” He asks.

“Well, she's one of those people. Is that going to be a problem?” You ask.

“Hey, that's fine.” He tells you. “As long as she doesn't shed all over the place and wears clothes.”

“Thanks dad. Vikna!” You shout towards the car. “Come on out!”

You see the short blue cat get out of the car, her tail shaking off a bit before coming to a resting position. She makes her way over to both of you and looks up at your dad.

“Hello, my name is Vikna Ramenskaya. It's a pleasure to meet you.” She tells him.

“Name's Daniel Haigs. I'm Jackson's father.” He replies. “Let's get inside. I'm freezing cold out here.”

He sits back down in his wheel chair before pushing the stick forward, rolling off towards the door to the old folks home. When you are all inside, the old people start looking at Vikna, cocking there heads at the strange sight. You both make it down to his room, and you close the door behind you all.

“So, how have you been son?” Dad asks, getting out of his wheel chair and sitting on the chair adjacent to the couch.

“Well, one of my friends told me that mom and Kelly left me.” You reply. “Wasn't as shaken up about it as I thought I'd be.”

“Well, what made you change your mind?” He asks.

“Her.” You say, pointing to Vikna. “She asked me why I woke up last night screaming.”

“You didn't tell her?” He asks.

“Tell me what?” She asks.

You sit down on the couch, patting the other side of it.

“Sit down for a second.” You tell her. “I want my dad to explain what he was for 12 years.”

Your dad looks down at the floor and then back to you, shaking his head.

“I was Air force Military Police for over 12 years over in Germany.” He tells her.

“You were military?” She asks.

“Yeah, so was my son.” He replies, pointing to you. “He was a Marine for 2 years before he went into the reserves for 5 more.”

“No way. What was your rank?” She asks.

“Sergeant for the latter half of it. An E-5.” You reply. “I'm an E-6 now, a Staff Sergeant.”

“What about you, Dan, what'd you do?” She asks.

“I was a border guard on the Berlin wall for 10 whole years before being transferred to train new recruits to do the same job.” He tells you. “I was the same rank my son is now. E-6, technical sergeant.”

“I know you were military too. Well, you still are.” You tell her. “Dad, are you comfortable with sharing what you saw during your time there?”

Your dad nods, leaning back in the chair and looking up.

Dan

September , 1978

Berlin wall

You're sitting in your guard booth, listening to the American radio stations on the radio as you look for anyone trying to cross the border. The music stops and you sigh, having liked the song that was playing. You look out across the border and see someone watching the guard tower from the communist side of the block. They were waiting for the guards to be distracted. You grabbed your laser pointer and flicked it on.

When you point the pointer on the other pillar beside the wall, the soon-to-be defector notices it immediately. They look back in your direction as you wave, pointing to the sign beside them. It said 'Mines' in Russian and German. You shake your head and motion for them to come to you. When the person is about to run across, they wave behind the wall and 3 other people come running out. All four of them run towards you and you keep your rifle at hand.

Eventually, the guard on the communist side notices this and raises the alarm.

“HALT!” He shouts, bringing a rifle to bear.

“COME ON!” You shout back. “BEEILE DICH!”

Just as you shout that, even more people begin rushing from the eastern side, only to be opened up on by a machine gun. All the women and children were on that side of the wall, trying to cross over with their parents and husbands, but there was no such luck. The communists were cold blooded murderers who wanted to keep people inside east Berlin at all costs. The men looked back at their family being slaughtered and ran back for them, only to get caught on a barbed wire trap. You then heard the one word you didn't want to hear.

“MÖRTERSTEIN!” The other tower guard shouted.

“NEIN!” You scream back. “COME BACK! KOMM ZURÜCK!”

They're desperately trying to free themselves from the barbed wire as you hear the faint sound of mortars being fired in the distance. They'd use mortars on anyone that managed to get across the traps unharmed or were stuck inside traps.

“KOMM JETZT ZURÜCK!” You scream again. “YOU ARE BEING BOMBED! SIE WERDEN BOMBIERT!”

They hasten their attempts to free themselves just as a mortar round lands. It misses them by yards as one of the members manages to free themselves. He attempts to help the others, but is quickly dissuaded as mortar rounds begin pounding the barbed wire trap. This loosens the wires enough for the rest to be freed when the mortar rounds suddenly stop. Then, barking is heard.

You immediately drop the laser pointer and take aim with your rifle, seeing the dogs round the corner. The two slowest men were immediately caught by the dogs, who began mauling the men to death as two more dogs ran after the remaining two. The lines were only long enough to allow the dogs to get half way across the border before holding the dogs back, but the lines were intentionally weakened so the dogs could break them if the target outran the line.

The lines snap and the dogs keep running after the men before you aim at the dogs.

BANG BANG BANG

One dog down.

BANG BANG

The second dog dies and the two men are smiling, rushing towards you before an explosion rings out. Another mortar. You're hit in your flak vest with shrapnel as the two men are thrown forward. Well, one man and the giblets of another. The one man who managed to survive the blast started crawling back to you. You soon figure out why.

The man's legs are gone, having been blown off by the mortar shell. You go against orders and rush away from your post, grabbing the man by the shoulders and pulling him back with you. He was caked in dirt and gore from his friend, his clothes torn to shreds by shrapnel.

“Vielen Dank.” The man says weakly as you pull him onto the paved road.

“Don't worry! You'll make it!” You yell, grabbing a bandage from your chest rig. “I can get you to a hospital! Krankenhaus! Ja?”

“Nein, ich sterbe.” He says.

“No! You're not dying!” You yell back. “I won't let you die!”

“Ich sehe es jetzt. Westberlin. Das Land der Milch und des Honigs.” He says, his eyes fluttering open and closed. “Es ist wunderschön”

“I know, capitalism is very good. Der Kapitalismus ist sehr gut, ja?” You ask.

“Ja, ist gut.” He replies weakly. “Freund, ich sterbe hier.”

“No, you're not dying here!” You yell, trying to wrap the bandage tight around his leg.

“Ich habe zu viel Blut verloren.” He tells you, grasping your hand. “Halt.”

You stop bandaging his legs and he smiles at you, laying back down on the floor.

“Amerikanische Gastfreundschaft...” He says weakly. “Ich mag das.”

“You'll like it even more when we get you into a hospital bed.” You tell him. “Krankenhausbett, mit heißen Krankenschwestern.”

“Heißen Krankenschwestern? Nein, nicht für mich.” He says. “I dying here.”

“N-no! You can't die here!” You yell. “Please! Don't die here!”

“Ich muss dir danken, Amerikanisch.” He tells you, obviously weaker than before. “Alles was ich wusste war Grausamkeit, aber jetzt kenne ich die Freiheit.”

“Freedom?” You ask. “But you're dying...Du bist am sterben.”

“Sie sind ein Narr. Du denkst, ich bin nicht frei, weil ich im Sterben bin?” He asks before chuckling weakly. “Ich würde lieber frei sterben, als in Ostdeutschland zu leben.”

“Y-you would?” You ask.

“Ja, Ich würde.” He says.

You're tearing up now, your new friend dying in your arms as he loses more blood. A fellow MP has arrived to investigate the gun fire and calls over the radio.

“We got a defector who's severely injured!” He yells into the radio. “Dan's got him!”

Then he begins speaking in broken English.

“Friend, you have helped me finds the peace of freedom. I am nows able to dying free.” He tells you. “Thanks you.”

Just as he says that, he dies in your arms, the blood loss finally taking its toll. You hold him in your arms, sobbing into his dirty shoulder as he lays limp. You hear an ambulance coming in the distance, but it's already too late. Your friend, Randy, puts his hand on your shoulder as you hold the poor dead man.

Jack

Present day

“That man risked his life for freedom we all take for granted. He paid the price for it.” Your dad says, wiping tears from his eyes. “Since that time, I helped over 30 people escape east Germany, some of which I am still in contact with today.”

“That's horrible.” Vikna tells him.

“It's your turn son. I told her my story, you tell her yours.” He says, looking at you.

“His?” Vikna asks.

“Mine...” You say, looking down at the floor.

2 hours later

You're sitting with your hands over your eyes, trying to stem the flow of tears exiting your tear ducts with no luck. You had a similar experience to your father, except with a staff sergeant you never wanted to remember the name of. He was shot by an armor piercing shot from a sniper.

“Do you understand now?” Your dad asks. “Why he woke up in the middle of the night screaming?”

“No, because I've seen people die too.” She replies.

It's like a switch goes off inside you. After sniffling a bit, you look over at Vikna and her ears fold all the way back. You smile, but not because you were happy. It was something else.

“Oh, I'm so sorry. You've seen people die. That clears up everything. You completely understand what I'm going through then. Guess I have no room to complain, huh?” You ask.

“W-what?” She asks in return.

“Vikna, have you ever seen someone burn?” You ask.

Her tail wraps around her and she grabs it.

“No...”

“What about stoned to death?” You ask, voice quivering as you contain your anger.

“N-no.” She replies, looking away.

You pull her to face you and grit your teeth.

“Have you ever pulled the trigger on a device designed to kill hundreds, maybe thousands, in a wave attack?” You ask.

“No.” She replies, looking at you, horrified.

“I have seen people who have been beaten, shot, blown up, eviscerated, cut to ribbons, stoned, thrown off of buildings, and burned to death.” You tell her. “Do you know what it's like to see people burn?!”

She's trying to pull away, but you pull her closer.

“I SAW THOSE PEOPLE BURN!” You scream. “I shot those people! I, killed, dozens! What have you seen? Ships being blown up, never having to see the men and women inside gasping for air as they're exposed to the vacuum of space?!”

“S-stop!” She yells.

“Jack, that's enough.” Your dad tries telling you.

“NO! IT'S NOT ENOUGH!” You scream back before turning around again. “You have never seen the shit that I have seen, nor will you ever see the shit I have seen so long as I live. I fall asleep every night and I see all those dead bodies. The combatants and civilians I've killed.”

“Civilians?!” She asks.

“YES! I shot civilians carrying bombs big enough to kill tanks!” You shout. “I've killed women using their children as shields to deliver bombs to the middle of squads. I've seen houses burned down with that fucking war crimes launcher. Have you ever heard what a man sounds like when his lungs are melting?”

“N-no.” She replies.

“Pray to god you never have to.” You tell her, letting her go. “I'm going for a smoke.”

You take the tube out of your pocket and open it up, revealing a half smoked cigar before you exit your dads room.

Vikna

You watch as Jack leaves, taking a cigar out of a tube in his pocket before closing the door behind him. You look over to Dan and he looks back at you.

“I've never seen him so mad before in my life.” Dan tells you, struggling to get up. “What'd you do to piss him off?”

“Nothing.” You lie.

“Bullshit. I'm almost 70 years old Missy, I know when someone's lying to me.” He tells you, walking over to the sink.

“I asked him why he woke me up in the middle of the night.” You tell him.

“Tell me the whole truth.” He says, grabbing a bottle of water and filling it.

“Well, I called him a creep because he knew who we were.” You reply.

“We?” He asks.

“Ayn, ARA, Zofie, and I.” You reply. “They all followed me here when portals started opening up. We ended up at Jack's house and, uh, forced our way in.”

“He didn't shoot you?” He asks.

“He turned on the light first and told us he couldn't tell us how he knew.” You reply. “He said it'd give us an existential crisis.”

“Yeah, that sounds like him.” Dan tells you. “Always wanting to protect people.”

“Protect people? From what?” You ask.

“If he says that giving you the information about how he knows you will give you an existential crisis, he's probably right. He may not seem like it, but he knows a lot more about people than he lets on.” He replies. “He probably wants to tell you too. It's more than likely eating away at him. Just wanting to tell you so you'll get off his back, but it'd hurt you in ways you can't even imagine.”

“No it wouldn't.” You say, crossing your arms.

“You know, I've seen girls like you before. They want everything now. Never wanting to wait for it and saying that they can take the consequences when they really can't. My advice to you is to stop pretending that you're capable of taking on information that will turn your entire life on its head.” He tells you, sitting down in the chair.

“How do you know what I'm like?” You ask, offended that he'd make such an assumption. “What do you know?”

“Yeah, you're right. What does an old guy like me know? I've only been put in the same position my son is in twice.” He tells you in a passive aggressive tone. “Both times with girls who acted exactly like you.”

You roll your eyes and look at the TV, seeing a man with blonde hair speaking behind a podium before Dan speaks again.

“You know, my son wanted to join the Air force, right?” He asks. “Wanted to be a pilot. A fighter pilot to be exact.”

“Why didn't he?” You ask.

“His vision wasn't good enough and he had Asperger's. Nobody wanted to take the retarded kid. He got through a week of basic before being forced out on account of his condition. He went to every other branch of the military to apply. Army, Navy, Air force again, and even the Coast Guard.” He replies. “The Marines only took him in because he knew how to shoot well enough to get in. Wanted to get all the training he could while he was in so he could be as tough as my dad and I. He was sent over seas in 2015 before he came back in 2016. I've never seen a stare so long since I asked my dad about what he did in Vietnam.”

“So, he was mentally unfit to fly?” You ask.

“No, the Air force said he was. My son can fly anything with wings.” Dan replies. “He could probably fly a space shuttle if they were still in service.”

“Why did he want to be tough?” You ask.

“Because...he wanted to protect his mother and sister. I got a divorce with his mother back in 2007 and it tore him apart.” He says, lowering his head in shame. “I regretted it every single day since I got it. He acted like the man of the house for almost 20 years without any help from me. He's like an old fashioned knight, my son is. Never asks for much and does so much for everyone around him. Doesn't even know he does it either. He'd never let anyone see him suffer because he didn't want any help. He was the help.”

Dan gets his phone out before continuing.

“You know he was presumed dead on the battlefield, right?” He asks. “The field surgeon said he went into shock and fell into a coma. My son woke up and said no, as if he had crawled out of hell itself to rejoin the living. He fought for 2 more hours before passing out. He was asked if he wanted to receive a medal for it and he refused almost violently.” He continues. “Here's the pictures they took.”

On the screen, you see a skinnier version of Jack laying on an arid ground, being looked at by a man with what was apparently the universal sign for medicine. The red cross. Dan swipes over and you see a video of him being looked at.

“I'm calling it. March 27th 2016, Sergeant Haigs is KIA. Cause of death is shock following a bullet wound to the chest-” The medic reads off before Jack grabs his arm.

“No!” He yells. “Where's my gun?! Where the fuck's my gun?!”

Rounds impact the dirt behind him and he looks up, seeing his weapon above his head. He grabs it, racking the bolt back and forth before firing the weapon.

“Jesus Christ! He's alive!” The guy holding the camera shouts between bursts.

The video ends and Dan pulls back into his seat.

“He was shot?” You ask.

“Yep. Takes a lot more than a bullet to kill my son.” He replies, hitting his chest with a closed fist. “Tough as nails. He'd probably take one for you too.”

He was shot and just kept on fighting. Why? What did he have to gain? You never understood why enlisted men would die for their squad mates, especially if they were belligerent and disobedient like yours were. You never felt any of that for any of your officers, nor did you feel that for any of your enlisted soldiers and NCOs. Only for your friends did you feel that kind of respect.

“It's getting late. I don't have an extra bed for my son and you to sleep on, so you're going to need to find a hotel.” He tells you. “Now go.”

Jack

You take the cigar out of your mouth and stomp on it, wiping away the tears under your eyes. She probably hates you now. You're about to go back inside when you see her walk outside with your dad in tow.

“You two should be going now. It's getting late and I know you don't want to sleep on the couch again.” Dad tells you. “You left your keys in there too.”

He hands them to you and you take them, twirling the key chain around as you walk back to your car.

“See ya dad.” You tell him, waving.

“See you later son. Drive safe!” He yells after you.

You give him a thumbs up and walk into the parking lot, hitting the unlock button on the key fob. When it's unlocked you walk to the side of the car and open the door, getting inside before closing it again. When Vikna gets inside and buckles her seat belt, you do the same, grabbing your phone from your pocket. When you open it, you get a call from Ayn.

“Hello?” You ask.

“Hey, it's Ayn. Habibi, stop!” She shouts to someone on the other end. “Uh, not to sound like I don't have things under control, because I do, but when are you coming home?”

“Do you want me to come home right now?” You ask, concerned things might be unraveling as you speak.

“Uh, I think I can handle them over the-OOF!” She says, the phone clattering in the background. “I'm okay!”

“I'm coming home. I'll be there in an hour and a half. Think you can wait that long?” You ask.

“Yeah, I'll be waiting.” She says.

“Great, I'll be home then.” You tell her.

“Wai-” You hear come from the phone before you close it, cutting the call off.

Must've just been a glitch or she was yelling at someone.

2 hours later

You pull into the driveway and see another car sitting in the driveway. It wasn't your mothers van or your sisters convertible, so you had no idea who was here. Ayn comes out of the garage and waves to you as you pull to the side of the SUV. When you get out, Ayn rushes up to you, her tail wagging gently.

“Thank god you're home. ARA just won't listen and Zofie has been trying to make something in the kitchen for the past hour, but she can't figure out how to cook any of your food.” She says, almost panicking as she does. “Also, this girl came over and said she was your girlfriend, so we let her inside and she went to sleep on the master bed.”

“Was her skin darker than mine?” You ask. “Like a brownish color?”

“Yes, but-”

“I'm gonna fucking murder her.” You say, power walking past Ayn.

“What?!” Ayn asks.

“She's my EX girl friend because she's fucking insane.” You tell Ayn, walking through the garage and up the steps.

When you get inside, you see Zofie happily wagging her tail as you enter.

“Jack! Could you tell me how to work the stove? I think the knobs are stuck.” She says, begging for your help.

“Push the knobs in and twist. CAMILA!” You shout into the bedroom.

You power walk into the bathroom, crossing it into the bedroom. You see Camila rise from the blankets and smile at you.

“Honey! You're home!” She says.

“Get the fuck out of my mothers bed you fucking psychopath.” You tell her. “GET OUT!”

She immediately gets out of the bed, dressed in only a bra and panties.

“Do you like what I'm wearing~?” She asks.

“Get some clothes on you skank.” You tell her, kicking her clothes towards her.

She sighs, putting her pants on before putting her 'shirt' on as well.

“Come on Jackson, I know you want me~.” She tells you. “You've even gotten taller, that's...nice.”

“What did I tell you about coming in my house?” You ask.

“I don't remember.” She lies.

“Get the hell out of my house. Now.” You tell her.

“Is everything okay in here, hab-er, sweetie?” Ayn asks.

“My ex is being difficult.” You tell her.

“EX?!” She screams, moving into range of you. “I AM NOT YOUR EX!”

She raises her hand and slaps you, making your eye twitch a little.

“Did you just slap me?” You ask.

“Yes, because we're still dating!” She tells you, smiling again.

“GET OUT!” You scream in her face, pointing to the door.

She sighs, getting out a phone before dialing a number.

“Yeah, he's doing what I said he'd do. Can you come in here for a second?” She asks.

“Who the fuck is that?” You ask.

“My friends.” She says with a smirk.

Your eyes go wide as you hear 4 doors slam shut outside.

“You fucking psycho!” You shout, rushing past Ayn and out the bathroom.

ARA sees you running and gives you a wide berth, watching as you run through the living room and up the stairs. You hear a pounding on the door as you make it to your room, grabbing your rifle and charging it with your index and middle finger. You flick the red dot on and rush back out of your room, running to the stairs as your foot falls shake the house. When you make it to the stairs, you slide down the railing as it groans under your weight. You land with a loud thud, rushing back through the living room and the kitchen. You make it to the door just in time to see it open.

“STOP!” You shout, aiming the rifle at the door as you pant wildly. “Not one more step!”

The door opens completely and you see a man who's about the same height as you.

“Whoa, calm down there buddy.” He says. “We're just here to talk with you is all.”

You look at his waist band and see him reaching before you flick the safety off.

“HANDS UP!” You shout.

“Whoa, easy there.” He tells you, putting his hands up.

You look past him and see 8 more Mexicans who are considerably more bulky than this one is.

“You're trespassing on private property. Property that I have marked with 3 signs on the road here. I'm doing you a courtesy by not shooting you right now.” You tell them.

“I don't think you should do that friend.” He says with a smirk.

“Get your hands off me!” Vikna shouts, as one of the Mexicans pulls her up the steps.

He has a gun to her head, pulling the hammer back as she tries to fight against him. You feel your heart sink as you realize they have the upper hand.

“You fucking shitters. PUT HER DOWN!” You yell, moving forward a bit.

“Not until you put your gun down first.” He says with a smile.

“What's going on in-oh my god! Miss Vikna!” ARA yells.

“ARA! Stand down!” Vikna yells, trying to free herself.

“Was is los?!” Zofie asks.

“Zofie, go back into the house!” Vikna replies.

Then, you had an idea. Maybe, if Zofie spoke German, Vikna could too. It was a long shot, but it was the only shot you had without getting Vikna killed. You try and remember the words your dad had taught you in German. Fuck, what were they? What were they?! Then, you remember and steel yourself.

“KOPF NACH UNTEN!” You shout to Vikna.

She understands and throws her head down as far as it will go and you swivel your gun onto her captor. You fire 3 rounds into his head, blowing it open as you train your gun on the lead man. You put 3 more shots into him, your ears beginning to ring as you gun down the rest of the men at your door step. They begin to flee and you rush down the steps, firing at them as they try to file through the door. None of them escape and you flick the safety back on, looking down at Vikna.

She's covering her ears and huddled into a fetal position for protection as she closes her eyes tight. You hear screaming over the ringing in your ears and look through the door. Camila is on her knees, screaming bloody murder as she looks over the scene. Ayn is in shock and Zofie is about to poke around the corner.

“STAY IN THE KITCHEN!” You scream at Zofie, pointing to her.

She rushes back around the corner, having not seen the bodies.

“NOOOO!” Camila screams, dropping her head to the ground.

You raise your rifle to Camila, flicking the safety back off and grit your teeth.

“Why would you do that to me?” You ask, voice quivering as your rifle shakes. “Why?”

“YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO SHOOT THEM!” She screams.

“WHY WOULD YOU PUT ME IN A POSITION WHERE I HAVE NO OTHER CHOICE?!” You scream back.

“I JUST WANT YOU TO MARRY ME!” She screams in return.

“I'm not marrying you.” You reply. “I will never marry you. I will never have sex with you. I will never even be friends with you. The only thing keeping you alive right now is the fact that you're a woman and I told myself I'd never kill a woman again. I'd say something witty about fedoras, but right now I'm too angry. However, I've been known to break my own promises from time to time, so I highly HIGHLY suggest you get the fuck out while you still can.”

“THAT WAS MY BROTHER!” She screams.

“WELL NOW HE'S DEAD BECAUSE HIS PSYCHOTIC SISTER TOLD HIM TO SHOOT HER EX BOYFRIEND!” You scream back.

“I'LL KILL YOU!” She screams, drawing a gun from her pocket.

“NO!” You scream, putting your finger on the trigger.

Ayn grabs the gun from her grasp and throws it past your head, the weapon discharging as it hits the ground.

“Get out.” She tells Camila.

“W-what?!” She asks loudly.

Ayn grabs her by the neck, lifting her as you move out of her way. She steps over the bodies, her shoes tracking blood all along your garage floor.

“YOU ARE GOING TO GET IN YOUR GOD DAMN CAR AND LEAVE!” She screams, a loud slam and the shattering of glass being heard. “GET OUT! NEVER COME BACK OR I'LL RIP YOU APART!”

You hear an engine start up and tires squeal as Ayn enters the garage again. She looks around at the bodies before falling to her knees, vomiting.

“Get inside.” You tell her.

“Aren't you afraid she'll call the police?” Ayn asks, getting off the floor and wiping her muzzle off.

“She's here illegally. If she gets the police involved, she goes back across the border.” You tell her. “I'll bury the bodies tomorrow.”

You look down and see Vikna still in the fetal position, covering her ears as she lays on top of a dead man.

“Get inside, now.” You tell Ayn.

She nods, walking up the steps and hopping over the dead bodies. When Ayn rounds the corner, you grab Vikna under her shoulders and lift her up.

“On your feet Kavkor.” You tell her, prompting her to let go of her ears. “Shooting's over.”

She opens her eyes and looks around, seeing all the dead bodies and your rifle strapped on your shoulder.

“Y-you killed all of these people?” She asks.

You nod.

“They were a threat to your safety and they refused to let you go. I took action to prevent harm to your person.” You tell her almost automatically. “I'm sorry if I scared you.”

“I-I don't know how to feel about this.” She tells you.

“That makes two of us.” You reply, looking at the dead bodies. “Just go inside and get some sleep. You can use the shower if you want, just make sure to take in a few towels, since I don't have a drying ring. I'm gonna show Zofie how to use the stove.”

You walk inside the house, taking your shoes off and walking into the kitchen.

1 week later

You make your way into the house, having just come back from the gym. You were making steady progress, but it wasn't going to be enough to take off all that weight. 5 pounds a week isn't going to fly when you want everyone here to not think of you as a fat slob. Your arms are burning and your legs feel like they're on fire, but you were at least able to walk now. You hear the familiar click clack of claws on your wooden floors as a familiar blonde dog rounds the corner.

“Welcome home!” She tells you excitedly. “I prepared an omelet for you this morning. It has greens, pork, cheese, and obviously egg. You seriously need more ingredients than this.”

“I'm getting paid tomorrow, so you make me a list and I'll go out and buy some stuff.” You say with a smile.

Zofie turns around and you see Vikna round the corner in a coat she borrowed from your sister. She crosses her arms and you cock your head.

“Yes?” You ask.

“You and I are going on a run fat body.” She tells you. “You want to lose weight fast? I'll make you lose weight fast.”

“Wait, you actually want to help me?” You ask.

“I need to stay in shape too you know.” She says, rolling her eyes. “Let's just hope your fat body can keep up with me. I run five miles every day. Think you can keep up?”

“I haven't run five miles in over a year.” You tell her. “Even in...never mind. My legs are on fire right now, so I-”

“If you come with me, I'll be nice to you for the rest of the day.” She says with a smile. “No teasing and no calling you a fat body.”

You're about to decline her offer when you take it into consideration. She would actually stop teasing you for an entire day?

“Are you serious?” You ask. “No teasing for the entire day?”

“I'll even be nice to you.” She says.

“Well, how can I resist?” You ask, putting your boots back on. “Let's get to running.”

1 hour later

You're running behind Vikna, having turned back around at the railroad tracks before running back down the road. Your legs were on fire and your lungs were not far behind as Vikna hums happily along to some kind of alien running cadence. She looks back at you and smirks deviously, slowing up to right beside you.

“Are you going to quit on me?” She asks snarkily. “That's okay fatty, I understand that not everybody can be as good as I am.”

“Oh my god just shut up.” You tell her, huffing and puffing as you continue on down the road, your heart feeling like it was going to take off if you kept going.

“Come on big guy, keep going. You aren't allowed to quit on me now!” She yells. “Get your massive ass in gear and keep running! You'll never lose that weight if you puss out now!”

Your boots fall into the slushy snow of a freshly plowed road, a small explosion of nasty slush blowing onto your pants as you continue to run down the road. Vikna was literally running circles around you, teasing you and smacking you with her tail if she got close enough. You slow your pace down, not able to continue going at your current pace. Vikna gets in front of you, running backwards as she looks up in disgust.

“Keep moving soldier! How the hell are you going to kill the enemy looking like a lump on a log?! Keep fucking running fat body!” She yells, turning back around as her tail bounces around. “Two more miles Jackson!”

“YES SARN'T!” You yell. “TWO MORE MILES FOR THE CORPS!”

You feel invigorated as you increase your pace, the sound of the slush slopping out of the way giving way to the stomping of boots on pavement.

“What the hell did you just say?!” She asks.

“TWO MORE FOR THE CORPS!” You scream out at the top of your lungs.

She turns back with a look of confusion on her face.

“I didn't-” She says before shaking her head. “Whatever, just keep moving fat body!”

1 more hour later

You finally make it back to the garage, your legs barely keeping you up before you enter the house. When you do, you have to lean on the washer for support. Vikna manages to slip past you, closing the door behind you before turning back to you.

“I can't believe you kept up.” She says, putting her hands on her knees as she begins panting as well. “I honestly thought I was going to lose you.”

“No chance.” You say between desperate attempts to shovel air into your lungs. “Fuck I'm dying.”

“I guess I have to make good on my promise.” She tells you, finally able to stand upright. “Let's...go watch TV I guess.”

You nod, making it forward exactly one step before passing out.


	3. Chapter 2: An explanation is owed

1 month and around 40 pounds later

You look at yourself in the mirror, smiling at yourself as you turn around. You had managed to lose half of your beer belly and ass while simultaneously gaining back the muscle you've lost. Ayn most definitely approves of the change, taking any excuse at all to feel your muscles and rub you all over. It was definitely a boost to your self esteem.

Most of the anthros that came through had gone home by now, taking the anomalous areas with them as the anthros who caused them were sent back to their own dimensions. From what you heard, your writer friend still has his waifu and Fluff still has Nytro, Twix, and Warning. SRK had come through the day you went off to see your dad and you were in such bad shape that you weren't online for a whole week.

Meanwhile, ARA managed to convince the engineers to lend her a portable fusion generator to further her study into this new world. She had to come back through every now and again to do relay duties, but she spends as much time here as she can. From what she says, the entire portal fiasco has put most jobs and places of business on hold as curiosity overcame the entirety of Katric. This meant Vikna didn't really need to work, as everybody on Katric visited the new world that had been set out before them.

Speaking of Vikna, she hasn't really changed much in terms of liking you, but she definitely has a newfound respect for you ever since you iced those Mexicans. She still dislikes you, since you haven't told her how you knew her, but she's softened up a bit to you. Zofie was another story entirely.

Zofie has been working full time on making sure you don't eat anything fattening or heavy on carbs. So it's all been meat, dairy, and some vegetables. You've been, in turn, teaching her how to play guitar. She loves every minute of it and leans into you every time she plays. Whenever you're around her, she always wags her tail happily while she does whatever task she set out to do. She even gave you a few pecks on the cheek when she was feeling extra cheerful.

Today Nytro was supposed to come over for a visit, which Zofie and Ayn were both excited for. You knew why too, so you put a non permeable sheet on the bed to contain their juices.

“What're you doing?” Zofie asks, watching you take the heavy, rubberized sheet down the steps of your house.

“Preparing for Nytro to come over.” You reply. “I want to keep the bed clean while Nytro takes you both for a ride.”

“What?” She asks. “I'm not going to have sex with Nytro. That was a one time thing...”

She immediately covers her mouth and you continue hauling the bed sheet to the room, opening the door and seeing Ayn on your sisters laptop.

“Move for a second. I'm changing the sheets.” You tell her.

“Jeez, that's one heavy looking sheet.” Ayn replies, getting up off the bed.

“Yeah, well I'd like the mattress to stay intact when Nytro comes over for a visit.” You reply. “The mattress wasn't cheap.”

She nods, getting out of bed as you almost rip the sheets off it. Ayn does a weird thing where she keeps the blankets separate from the bed, which she explained was so they weren't ruined during sex. She only did it when she was a guest somewhere, so you guess it's fine. Besides, it made it easier to change the sheets. When the sheets were changed, you nodded and left the room with Zofie in tow.

You sit down in your recliner and bring up your tablet, looking through the news. The people who run the news have finally taken a break from bashing your current president to talk about an issue much greater than 'orange man bad'. Just as you're about to finish the article, you hear a horn outside. You look up and see Zofie looking out the window.

“He's here!” She yells, her tail wagging excitedly.

She waves outside and you get up, walking through the kitchen and to the door. Zofie runs after you, waiting excitedly by the door as you unlock it and open it up. When you get into the garage, you walk to the door and open it . You see Nytro and Twix standing by a red, oh god.

“You gotta be fucking shitting me.” You say holding in your laughter.

“What?” Nytro asks, looking back at his car.

“Jesus, he gave you a Cavalier? Oh my god!” You yell, bursting into laughter.

Nytro looks confused as you lean against the door frame, laughing your ass off.

“Hey man, Rei's one of the good ones.” Nytro tells you. “Said it's a normal car here.”

You manage to stifle your laughter for a bit and compose yourself.

“I'm gonna have to talk with him later and get you a better car. Jesus Christ I'm surprised it made it over here without the plastic rusting off.” You say, walking up to Nytro. “I'm Jackson by the way.”

You hold out your hand and he takes it, shaking it gently before Zofie nearly tackles him to the ground.

“Nytro!” She yells excitedly.

“Hey spots. How's this guy been treating you?” He asks, looking back at you.

“He's been great. He's teaching me how to play the guitar and I'm pretty good at it!” She continues yelling.

“Whoa, calm down there. Don't need you blowing my ears off the entire time we catch up.” He tells her. “Run back inside and I'll talk later. I need to discuss some things with our new friend here.”

She nods and rushes back inside, nearly falling as she does so. She's so cute when she's clumsy. You turn back to Nytro and get right down to business.

“How much has he told you three?” You ask.

“Everything.” Nytro replies, looking down at the pavement. “Really takes the fun out of everything when you know your entire life has been thought up by some dude who draws porn on the internet.”

“Well, to be fair, he never intended for anthros to come to earth, so you got that going for you.” You reply. “I also don't think he's controlling you any more, if it makes you feel any better.”

“Yeah, thanks man.” He says, looking back up at you. “Rei said you'd be shorter...and a bit rounder.”

“You can blame the first one on Ayn.” You reply. “The second one is more the product of Vikna.”

“Blue's here too?” He asks.

“Yeah, she is. This leads into the next thing I wanted to tell you three.” You reply, looking back at Twix and seeing Warning in the back of the car. “Do not tell Vikna the truth. I think Ayn might be able to handle it, but Vikna would, well, you know...”

You put a finger gun to your head and push your thumb down, making a popping sound with your mouth.

“Yeah, I figured she might.” Nytro replies. “She's not very good with existential stuff.”

“Same thing with Zofie. Please don't go in there and tell her right away, she's still a kid and I don't want her time with her long time friend to be ruined with an existential crisis.” You tell him. “Just try and catch up for a bit before telling her anything.”

“Sure thing. Anything else?” He asks.

“I put some sheets down in the basement that will keep the mattress clean while you and Ayn do it. I'm cool with it as long as you don't start screaming and hollering like a bunch of gorillas.” You tell him. “Also, don't go tempting Zofie. She already told me she doesn't want to be a part of you and Ayn's reunion, so just let her relax for a bit. She does a lot around the house and just wants to sit down for a while to talk.”

“Hey man, you're talking to me like I don't know how to read a room.” He says with a smirk. “Any more rules?”

“Don't touch my weapons, ask Zofie to make stuff for you, as we don't have any food synths on this planet, keep everyone off my computer, and that's pretty much everything.” You tell him.

“Why? What's on your computer?” He asks.

“I think you know.” You reply.

“Ah, yeah. Rei told me you were that writer.” He replies, blushing a bit. “Yeah, I'll keep everyone far away from that. Come on Warning, let's go see my friend.”

Warning exits the back of the car and walks inside with Nytro, leaving you and Twix alone.

“So, uh, I heard you got pegged by a dude.” You tell him, looking to the car.

“Y-yeah.” He replies skittishly. “You got a problem with that?”

“What? No! I don't know anything about you outside of that, so what am I supposed to say?” You ask.

“Maybe try not to be a socially stunted homophobic jackass.” He replies, crossing his arms.

“Well, I'm gonna go to the airport later and take Vikna out flying. You wanna come along?” You ask.

“You guys have aircraft on this primitive planet?” He asks.

“What? You think we're cavemen banging rocks together still? No, we have aircraft.” You reply.

“Fine, I'll come along. Don't make fun of my preferences again.” He replies.

“I, uh, won't. How much do you weigh?” You ask.

“About 140 pounds.” He replies.

“Alright, that makes about 237 pounds in total. That plus my own weight means about 470 pounds total.” You say to nobody in particular. “Pretty light for a normal flight.”

“Wait, Vikna only weighs 97 pounds?” Twix asks.

“Yeah, she's not very big at all.” You tell him.

You see his ears flutter a bit and you shake your head.

“You wouldn't like her. She's kind of mean.” You tell him, walking back inside the garage and waving him inside.

You both step inside the house, not bothering to take off your shoes as you walk into the living room. Ayn is hugging Nytro as Vikna sits on the couch, looking at the floor.

“Hey, I'm going flying. Anyone else want to come with?” You ask.

“You have an aircraft?” Ayn and Nytro ask almost in unison.

“Yeah, bought it about 8 months ago. It's about a 30 minute drive from here to there, so anyone who wants to come, we're going in about 10 minutes.” You reply, looking at Vikna. “It's mandatory for you unless everyone else comes along.”

“But-”

“No buts.” You tell her, cutting her off. “So, who's coming?”

Nobody raises their hand and you nod.

“Alright, Vikna, grab something to eat and drink. We're leaving in 5.” You tell her.

She just rolls her eyes and gets off the couch, walking back into the kitchen as she brushes past Twix. You walk after her and Twix follows both of you. Vikna grabs a bag of chips and some water from the pantry before closing it, walking into the laundry room and putting on her shoes. You do the same and grab your jacket, grabbing hers as well.

Nytro

You watch Blue and Twix make their way out of the house, walking out into the snow before entering Jack's car. When they're both off, you turn back to Spots and Ayn, smiling.

“How have you all been?” You ask. “I haven't seen any of you in over a month!”

“I'm doing just fine Nytro!” Zofie replies with a smile.

“I'm fine Habibi, how about you?” Ayn asks.

“I'm doing good.” You reply, having done nothing but talk and have sex with Warning for the past month. “Really good.”

“That's great.” Ayn says, pointing to a leather chair. “Please, sit down. I'm sure it was a long drive.”

“Not really.” You say. “It wasn't as long as I thought it would be.”

“This unit is low on power.” Warning says, making her way over to ARA. “Is there a power substation nearby? This unit has rigging in the back of the automobile we have used to get here.”

“There's a charging station in the wall over there.” ARA tells her, pointing to a massive K class charging port on the wall.

“Thank god!” Warning yells out. “This unit was getting tired of her fur getting burnt.”

She makes her way over to the charging port and lifts the cable out, tossing her end cap on the floor as Red picks it up. Warning attaches the cable to her tail and sits on the ground, laying down before powering off. You smile at that and look back over to Spots, who's wagging her tail excitedly.

“How has that man been treating you?” You ask again. “For real this time.”

“I don't know what you mean.” Zofie replies, frowning a bit. “Jackson has been very good to me. He taught me to play guitar!”

“Guitar?” You ask. “Is that some sort of instrument?”

“Yes, it's a very versatile instrument.” She replies.

“Why do you ask?” Ayn asks. “What would concern you about Jack that would cause you to think he's hurting us?”

“Well, I was kind of hoping I could avoid this for a little while, but I guess I need to tell you.” You say, looking at the floor. “I know this is going to be hard for you to swallow, but we're not exactly naturally occurring.”

“What?” She asks. “Explain further.”

“We're all...created for...uh...you know...” You say, trying to find the right word. “Well...we're created for porn.”

Ayn cocks her head at you and smiles, chuckling a bit before seeing you're not smiling. She drops the smile immediately and you look over to Zofie, who's giving you a look of disgust.

“Nytro, stop being a pervert.” She tells you.

“Actually, that makes a lot of sense.” Ayn says. “It makes more sense than I thought it would. I mean, come on. The goddess of lust and fertility? What a joke. So, we're anthroids?”

“No, we were created. Our entire universe was created by a single person for the sole purpose of making porn.” You reply.

“Nytro, stop it!” Zofie yells. “This isn't funny!”

“It's true.” ARA replies. “Mister Jackson told me the first night we arrived. He asked me not to tell you for fear that you might go into an existential crisis.”

“If you want proof, Rei gave me pictures to share with you.” You tell Zofie, bringing up a phone she gave you.

You bring up some rather unflattering images of you sitting on a bed, jerking yourself off in your tiny bunk bed. You show it to Spots and her face immediately turns red.

“NYTRO!” She shouts to you. “That's disgusting!”

You pull the phone back and swap to a different picture, this one of Ayn taking a dick from behind. She sees this and smirks.

“I remember this. I brought one of the peasants back to the palace two years ago and showed him a good time. He was a really good lay. So eager to please that he kept going after he had came. I didn't have the heart to tell him I already came with him.” She tells you. “Really sweet guy. Too bad he was a peasant or I would've asked mother if he could be a servant.”

You nod and swipe to another one, this one was of Zofie looking at a picture of Vikna on a holo-screen. She was using a vibrator on herself as she looked at the image, which you showed to Zofie.

“HOW THE FUCK?!” Zofie asks, swatting the phone away.

The phone lands on Warning and she begins booting up, looking around.

“This unit has detected an impact on her chassis. What impacted her?” Warning asks before finding the phone. “Please do not throw phones at this unit. The phone is delicate.”

She tosses the phone back to you and gets back on her stomach, powering down again. Zofie looks back at you, a look of utter disbelief and disgust present on her face.

“Who drew these?” She asks. “WHO DREW THESE?!”

“Spots, calm down!” You command. “Rei drew these. She lives here on Earth. She made us, every single one of us. Red, do you know the name of the Tower director?”

“Yes, he is mister Rei.” She replies. “He directs the Tower with direct communications to the Emperor. He has very high status indeed. He and I never used to talk much, but lately he has taken an especially flattering interest in me.”

“Well, she said that she found a way to communicate with what she called a fursona. Then, eventually, she took over the fursona and became the Tower director. Everything he knew, she knew, and everything she knew, he knew.” You add. “Rei in our world finally perfected an invention that would allow us to cross over into this universe before a certain somebody suffered a fault and damaged the machine.”

“I already apologized profusely!” ARA yells back. “Do not blame the entire incident on me!”

“I'm only teasing.” You say with a smile. “Anyways, the portals went haywire and a load of them opened all at once. Lots of anthros went through, but lots of humans went through as well. Most of the humans who went through landed in Katric and went back the same time most of the anthros came back. Now, Rei is the sole controller of the portals in our universe now, so she told me we had another month or so before we had to go back home. Blue in particular is needed back home in about a month. There's this weird time dilation thing that she tried to explain, but it's too far beyond my understanding. She said something about every month back home was like two months here, give or take. It changes depending on various factors, but she said it was stabilized now.”

“What about Jack?” Ayn asks. “Why are you so wary of him?”

“He's a soldier of some sort. She called him a marine or something, I don't know. She said he had been through a war and he's not right in the head.” You reply.

“That explains the screaming on some nights.” She says. “Vikna wouldn't tell us what happened at his father's house, but I figured he suffered some sort of trauma. I might try linking with him if I can get him into the palace.”

“Just be careful around him, okay? She said he gets triggered by something called Arabic which is close to Sianian. Try to stay away from that or he might lash out.” You tell her. “Has he lashed out at all?”

“He killed a few people who took Vikna hostage.” Ayn replies. “It was pretty brutal actually. I got sick just from looking at the bodies.”

“Did he gut them?” You ask.

“No, he just shot them. Every one of them got 3 shots to the head or chest. None of them escaped. They're all buried in the woods somewhere. He brought out a tractor and said he put them 20 feet underground.” She replies. “When I asked if this happened often, he didn't respond.”

“I wonder how Vikna is going to take it.” You say. “Spots, you okay? You haven't said a word in a long time.”

“I don't know what to say.” She says. “I know I'm not some slut for people to jerk themselves off to. I think it's very gross.”

“At least you have not read what mister Jackson has written.” ARA says. “I do not know how miss Vikna would feel about the book he has written about us.”

“He what?!” Zofie asks.

“Red!” You yell. “What the hell?!”

“I thought the security clearance was lifted.” She replies innocently. “Do not worry, it was nothing perverse. It was actually quite flattering the way he portrayed us. His earlier works though...well...I will not delve into them.”

“Don't dwell on it Spots.” You tell her. “Out of all the others I've read, his is one of the more respectful and clean ones.”

“Well, if you say so.” She says. “I can trust you.”

“I'll be staying here for a few days. Do you have a bed I could lay in?” You ask.

“I am sleeping in Jack's room right now, so I don't know if you will fit in bed with me.” She replies.

“Is he sleeping with you?” You ask, tensing up a bit.

“No. He wouldn't allow it. He sleeps on the couch right now, but he found a mattress yesterday and is probably going to be sleeping in the basement.” She replies. “I don't know him well enough to sleep with him.”

“Right.” You say, looking at Ayn. “What about you?”

“I used some residual Tau to give him a little something...extra.” She says with a smirk. “He's been really good to us though. We've all been looking after each other.”

“I cleared out the food from his freezer in the basement.” ARA adds. “I told him the amount in the freezer would be enough to power me for five days.”

“What was in the freezer?” You ask.

“Expired venison.” She replies. “He says it was in there for over ten years. I almost had to fight for it. There were many parasites and diseases inside, but they only added to the amount of power I gained from the meat.”

“That's disgusting Red.” You tell her.

“Do not worry. It is perfectly sanitary when it enters my smelter. All of the matter that enters is broken down into its base components and-”

“I know, I know.” You tell her. “Still, eating meat that's been stuffed inside of only a freezer for ten years is disgusting.”

“I think I shall go and get some meat from the freezer to charge myself with.” She says with a smile. “I will return!”

You shake your head as she walks to a doorway by what looks to be a primitive holo-screen, walking down some stairs before you let your head rest against the couch.

2 hours later

Jack

You pull into the driveway and see Zofie standing in the door way. She looked a bit sad, on account of her being informed that she was a character drawn to be fantasized about. When you step out of the car, you take Viknas gun and look it over. It had a smooth finish with some glowing blue lights that were probably intended to work as a sort of team identification. Like an IR strobe, but visible to everyone. The slide was a split slide, which is to say it didn't take the entire top of the gun with it when you racked it back. It was more complex, but much more controllable. You eject the magazine and the round in the chamber, putting it inside the magazine before stuffing the gun in your pocket. Vikna pushes past Zofie, whose eyes go wide in surprise.

“Y-you told her?” She asks.

“Yes, now I need to go inside.” You tell Zofie. “All of you guys are going on a trip. I have a van in the garage that you all can ride in.”

She's about to say something, but you run to the door, opening it up before rushing into the kitchen. When you turn into the living room, you see Ayn holding Vikna back.

“No! Let me go you fucking slut!” She screams, struggling against Ayn's grasp.

You walk over to Ayn and relieve her, pulling Vikna away from the group.

“Take my wallet out of my pocket.” You tell her.

Ayn digs around in your right pocket, pulling out the gun before finding your wallet. She stuffs the gun back in your pocket and smiles.

“What's happening?” She asks.

“You're all going out for dinner.” You tell her.

“What about miss Zofie? She can cook perfectly good food and-”

“I said, you're all going out for dinner.” You tell ARA through grit teeth.

She seems to take the hint and shuts up, letting you take Vikna into the master bedroom. You slam the door shut behind you and make your way through the bathroom, Vikna kicking and screaming the whole way. When you walk her inside, you heft her up before setting her on the bed.

“You fucking pervert! I knew you just wanted to-”

Ayn

You watch as Jack takes Vikna off to the bedroom before the door slams shut. You hear the springs compress and Vikna screams, enraged.

“You fucking pervert! I knew you just wanted to-”

“Shut the fuck up and listen to me.” He tells her, sending a shiver down your spine at the coldness of his voice. “You pull a stunt like that again and I'll chain you to the bed.”

“You're joking!” She yells.

You hear jingling inside the bedroom and Vikna gasps.

“I'm not fucking around. You're not going to shoot yourself over this.” He tells her.

“THAT'S NOT FOR YOU TO DECIDE!” She screams, startling you.

“BULLSHIT IT'S NOT FOR ME TO DECIDE!” He screams back, frightening everyone.

Jack has never raised his voice to you three before and it made everyone feel uneasy. You shifted back and forth on your feet, shooting a glance over at Nytro before looking down at Zofie. She was almost hiding behind him as he puts himself in a defensive stance.

“I think we should go.” Nytro says, hefting ARA off the couch.

“But I don't want to go.” ARA says.

“Sure you do.” Nytro tells her, pretty much carrying her by now. “Ayn, a little help.”

“I'm curious about what miss Vikna is saying!” ARA tells you both, turning off her gravity mods.

You haul her hefty form off the ground, putting her over your shoulder as she attempts to push herself off.

“I've done my damnedest to protect you all, so I'm not going to just stand by while you destroy yourselves over this existential bullshit! I fucking warned you, BUT NOBODY EVER FUCKING LISTENS TO ME!” He continues to shout.

“THAT'S BECAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE-”

You hurriedly carry ARA out of the laundry room, taking her down the steps as she continues to push against you. Everyone else follows you out with Nytro carrying Warning and Zofie rushing behind you.

“I've never seen him zis mad.” Zofie tells you.

“None of us have. Well, almost none of us.” You reply, hearing muffled shouting behind you.

“I guess he was right.” Nytro tells you. “She really is unstable.”

“What?” You ask, stepping out the door and seeing Jacks car sitting in the driveway.

“He told me to hold off on telling you girls where we all came from. Told me not to even consider telling Vikna or she'd kill herself.” He tells you, walking down the incline towards the massive garage. “Guess you caught her just in time.”

“I just had a feeling she wasn't going anywhere she was allowed to be.” You tell him, walking past all the little trees.

The thought of you potentially stopping a suicide scares you, making you shiver as you carry ARA like a sack of potatoes. You thought you knew Vikna, but she seems to be a bit more complex than you first thought. You all reach the 3 door garage, walking up to the closest garage door.

“How do we open this?” He asks.

“This unit detects no powered assistance, you may have to lift it by hand.” Warning tells him.

“That figures.” He says, walking up to the garage door.

The door had a few holes in it, which looked suspiciously like bullet holes to you. Nytro sticks a stick inside one, pushing up and opening the door. Standing before you was...a van. It was blue and old looking, with quite a bit of rust on the bumper and rear doors. The name on the back read 'Econoline' and the blue emblem in the middle said 'Ford' in cursive letters. There was also a ladder on the back, but you'd have an easier time convincing people you were a virgin than convincing yourself that would hold anything heavier than a couple pebbles.

Nytro walks to the drivers side and you make your way to the passengers side, opening up the double doors on the side. You wave Twix, Zofie, and Warning in the back before opening the passenger door. You set ARA down in the passengers seat, which sagged heavily under her weight.

“What's wrong? Don't you want to sit in the front?” Nytro asks.

“No, I want to have some fun with our new friend here~.” You reply, fluttering your eyes at Twix.

“O-oh my.” He says, blushing and looking away.

“Good thing this van has curtains.” Nytro says with a smirk.

He inserts the keys into the van before turning them clockwise, starting the van up. It had a deep and throaty engine, unlike any of the vehicles you've heard before. Heh, deep throat. When you step inside, you sit next to the small man and he smiles uncomfortably.

“Uh, did you forget about us?” Zofie asks.

“I can do you too if you like.” You reply with a smile. “Maybe Twix would like to have a go instead?”

“No, I mean, I don't think I really want to see, hear, and smell that right now.” She replies. “I'm still struggling to accept that we're all just characters made for porn.”

“Well, why not live up to that expectation then?” You ask.

“Because I'm a baker, not a porn star.” Zofie says, looking down at the carpeted floor.

“Fine, I'll make sure we're both quiet. I can't just go back on a promise like that, it's rude.” You tell her.

“Spots, you're not gonna get Ayn to stop. I'd say just close your eyes and cover your ears.” Nytro tells her, looking back and reversing out of the garage.

Zofie does just that, closing her eyes and cupping her hands over her ears. You turn back to Twix and smirk, kneeling down on the floor of the surprisingly roomy van as Warning sits in the back seat, not knowing whether to spout warnings or just hope she's not noticed. You pull down his pants and see he's already rock hard for you, his cock pulsating as he grits his teeth.

“I'll make it quick~.” You tell him, hovering your mouth over his cock. “30 seconds tops. Don't crash us Habibi.”

His dick twitches just a bit as your hot breath no doubt feels like heaven to his pulsating meat.

“No problem.” Nytro says, pulling the curtains shut that separate the two compartments.

Nytro

You hear schlicking and suckling in the back and smirk at it as a groan is heard. It's immediately silenced as you hear muffled moans come from the back seat. Not even 10 seconds later, you hear Ayn coo, her signature finish. Kid didn't even last 10 seconds. You look over at ARA and her entire face is now blue.

“T-thank you princess. Y-you're the-ah-best.” Twix tells Ayn.

“You're very welcome Habibi. Zofie, you can unplug your ears now.” She tells Spots.

“It smells so gross!” Zofie yells, probably covering her nose.

You pull the curtains back open and see Zofie is, in fact, covering her nose. Twix has a dopey looking grin on his face as he lays back in the seat, completely spent.

“How'd you make him pop so soon?” You ask.

“Same thing I do with every other newbie. I squeezed his tip in the right place and he just-”

“You're both making me feel queasy.” ARA tells you.

“Fine, guess we're going to, uh, Arby's? Yeah, that.” You say, putting the car into drive.

Jack

You sit down on the bed, having done enough yelling. Her angry screaming had since broken down into the occasional shout as she sat at your side. You could tell she was holding in a lot of emotion right now. Her voice trembled every time she tried to yell at you and she was sniffling constantly.

“Vikna, you can cry if you want. Nobody's around to hear it.” You tell her.

“I-I don't n-need to cry.” She stutters, sniffling and wiping her eyes.

You pull her over to you and wrap your arms around her. She resists violently, pushing against you and hitting you as she tries to escape. You hold her tight against you as she continues to fight it, not wanting to give in.

“Let me go!” She yells. “L-leave me a-alone.”

You don't comply with her demands, holding firmly as she begins to sob into you.

“N-no. S-stop it.” She tells you, her pushes getting weaker. “I-I said leave me al-lone.”

You rub your hand against her back, not letting her go as she stops struggling altogether.

“I'm sorry Vikna.” You tell her, continuing to rub her gently.

Viknas wall finally crumbles and she bursts into tears, wrapping her arms and tail around you as she cries. You smile gently, having finally broken through to her. She didn't need act so tough all the time, that wasn't her job here. You sit back down on the bed and she just goes limp, clinging onto the back of your neck as she cries into your chest.

“I-I-I just-I-” She tries to say.

“Shh, it's okay.” You tell her. “You're safe here. Nobody will ever know you cried. Nobody will make fun of you and everyone will still think you're the toughest kitty in the entire Rishan.”

She continues to cry into you as you stroke her back gently, holding her close to you as her cries slowly begin to wain. You gently pull her up onto the bed before draping the bed sheets over both of you. She pulls herself close to you as she gently sobs into your neck.

“I know what you need, Vikna. You need someone who's not going to tease you or rely on you. You need someone who you can lean on when you're just not feeling it that day. Someone who will protect you to the end, and someone who cares deeply for you. I'll help you find that person if it's the last thing I do.” You tell her. “I'll look everywhere, both here and in the Rishan galaxy. I won't stop until I find someone who can take care of you and love you the way you deserve to be loved.”

When her sobs finally begin to die down, she nuzzles you with her muzzle.

“Your dad was right.” She says with a sniffle. “You really don't know when you're helping people.”

You chuckle at that and she pulls her entire body up to you, wrapping herself around you where she could.

“Thank you.” She tells you, continuing to nuzzle into you.

1 month later

You're helping everybody pack up, having had to detach the generator from your house. Fluff said he was going to be opening the portal back up in about 4 hours, so you had plenty of time left. He didn't have time to explain over the chat, but he said his hands were full. Ayn's bag was finally packed, having been borrowed from your sister's room. She won't mind and neither do you.

“Sweetie, you can come with us, you know. You don't have to stay here on your own.” She tells you.

“I could definitely do that, but I have responsibilities at home to take care of.” You say. “This house won't take care of itself.”

“You could sell it.” She says. “Just a suggestion.”

“I could, but where would my mother and sister go?” You ask. “I can't just leave the house to be condemned.”

“Good point.” She says. “You know...if you're willing, I could definitely show you a good time before we all leave. I'd be more than happy to take your first time.”

“W-what?” You ask with surprise. “N-no thank you.”

“Hey, that's fine. It was only a suggestion.” She says with a chuckle. “Go on upstairs. I'm sure Zofie wants to say goodbye.”

You nod, smiling before walking out of the room, making your toward the stairs. When you climb them and turn toward the living room, you see Zofie and Vikna talking idly. ARA was sitting in your recliner, looking back at them as they talked. You look up at the pictures you took of them all, a picture of Nytro and Twix on a boat as you hold up a fish alongside them. There was another of you all out in the woods, Zofie freaking out as a steak sits on hot coals from a fire. There was another of Vikna on a jet ski, wearing a life preserver that was too big for her while Ayn wore one that was too small. She fell off the jet ski that day and you jumped in after her, swimming almost 500 feet to help her back aboard the thing. There was another picture of ARA stuck up in a tree while you were up in a ladder trying to get her down. She said she found a bird up there that was mocking her and tried catching it to shut it up.

“Herr Jackson, how are you today?” Zofie asks, pulling your attention back to her. “Have you eaten at all today?”

“Yes, I ate this morning.” You lie.

“What did you eat?” She asks.

“Uh...nothing.” You say.

“I must fix this!” She says excitedly, getting up immediately. “Give me an hour and I will make something that will knock your socks off!”

“Really, I'm fine Zofie.” You tell her with a smile.

“No, I will not allow you to continue the day on an empty stomach!” She says with a small whuff. “You must continue getting stronger and losing that weight if you are to improve your self image.”

“Okay, okay.” You tell her. “I'll eat if it makes you happy.”

Her tail begins wagging as she runs off into the kitchen, throwing some pans and pots onto the oven before opening the fridge. Your attention is then drawn back to Vikna, who blushes a bit when you look at her. She gets up, walking over to you before looking back at Zofie. She was way too busy making food to notice anything happening in the living room, so Vikna turns back to you and her cheeks begin turning red.

“Uh, can you come upstairs with me for a bit?” She asks quietly. “I want you to help me pack my bags.”

You look back at ARA, who's looking back with curiosity. When Vikna turns to look at her, she holds a finger up to her muzzle and ARA makes a zipping gesture across her lips.

“You have bags upstairs?” You ask in the same quiet tone.

“Yes, I left them upstairs in Zofie's room.” She replies. “Let's hurry, I want to get this over with.”

You nod and she leads you upstairs quietly, which was odd since she usually didn't bother being quiet. You look back down at ARA and she smiles, tracking you as both of you make it up the stairs. When you reach your old room, you see a couple bags on the floor. One was marked “Zofie” and the other marked “Vikna”. You look around the room and see a few articles of clothing belonging to Zofie, but nothing that looked to belong to Vikna. She then gets on the floor, bending herself over as she begins looking for things. That's when you realize she wasn't wearing any underwear. She looks back at you and sees you looking, her face turning bright red as she does the one thing you didn't expect. She pulls her skirt out of the way.

“W-what?” She asks. “Aren't you going to do something?”

“V-Vikna...” You say, looking away. “I don't know how I feel about this...”

“Jack, please. You've done so much for us all, especially me. I can't stay here forever because I have a job, but I can definitely give you something to remember me by.” She tells you.

“I...” You try to say, but that's all you get out.

She sighs, getting up and walking over to you.

“Sit on the bed please.” She tells you.

“Vikna-”

“Sit.” She says.

You sit down on the bed and she makes her way over to you, pulling down her skirt and revealing herself to you. She gets down on her knees and begins unzipping your pants, unbuttoning them and revealing your slowly rising member. She parts the hole in your underwear and pulls your dick through, raising herself off the ground.

“I-it's bigger than I thought it would be.” She tells you. “I don't know if it'll fit.”

“I'm not doing that.” You tell her. “I can't do that to you. We don't even know if we're compatible and I don't want an oopsie baby.”

“Are you telling me you don't have a single condom in this entire house?” She asks.

“Yes.” You reply.

“God, you're such an idiot.” She says, rolling her eyes. “Well, since I don't want a baby either, I guess we're going with plan B.”

She gets back down on her knees and looks back up at you.

“W-what are you doing?” You ask.

“I'm going to suck you off stupid.” She replies. “Stop making this more awkward than it already is.”

“Why?” You ask.

“I already told you.” She says, looking off to the side. “Don't blow too fast, alright? I want to enjoy this too.”

“I don't know how comfortable I am with this.” You tell her. “You and I aren't even a couple.”

“This is just some fun.” She tells you. “It doesn't mean anything. I just want to get to you before that slut and Zofie do. Haven't you ever...wait, that's right. Never mind.”

She lowers herself down onto you and sniffs your member, raising her eyebrows at it.

“What?” You ask nervously.

“It smells different. Did Ayn already do it with you?” Vikna asks accusingly.

“What? No.” You reply.

“Wait a second...” She says with a smirk. “You already jacked off today, didn't you?”

“W-what? No!” You lie.

“Your scent tells another story.” She says, smiling at you. “Oh, you're so dirty! With all of us in the house you still jerk yourself off?”

“H-hey, I have needs too you know. It doesn't help that I hear at least one of you masturbating every night.” You tell her.

“Do you seriously expect me not to do that when you pheromone bomb me on a daily basis?” She asks. “It's like you can't even smell yourself.”

You lift your arm and smell your pits, only smelling deodorant.

“Not that you fucking idiot, your crotch.” She says with a blush, pointing to your crotch. “Your pheromones come from your crotch.”

“S-stop talking to me like that. You're making it weird.” You tell her.

“I'm not the one who jerks off to girls pleasuring themselves in the other room.” She says. “Besides, isn't this your fantasy? Having the one and only Vikna sucking you off in your bedroom? I bet you've written things like this a million times you big perv.”

“S-shut up.” You tell her, knowing she's right.

She doesn't even warn you before putting her mouth over your dick, causing you to grunt as you grab the bed for support. You twitch a bit and you feel her smile as she hilts herself, beginning to purr.

“S-s-stop th-that.” You tell her, the pleasure from the vibration and sucking being too much.

“Nuh-uh.” Vikna replies, continuing to purr as she begins suckling on your dick. “Mmm~.”

She pumps her head back and forth methodically, wrapping her tongue around your dick as she purrs, the pulsating never seeming to stop. You put a hand on her shoulder and she smiles, grasping at her tits and playing with them under her shirt. Holy fuck this is so hot. You feel yourself begin to buck subconsciously and she holds your hips down, shaking her head a bit. She takes her mouth off you, continuing to stroke you with her hands.

“Don't do that or I might gag.” She says. “My muzzle isn't long enough for you.”

She shoves her mouth back on your dick and you lay your head back against the bed, beginning to shudder in ecstasy as she continues to lick around your member. You're definitely getting close.

“G-g-god.” Is all you manage to get out as she continues to suckle on your member.

You tap her on the shoulder right before you're about to blow and she pulls off, jacking you off before you finally blow. It's like a geyser, massive sticky ropes of cum exploding out of your dick and onto her muzzle as she licks the bottom of your cock. She moans a bit, licking up and down your rod as she licks up whatever doesn't coat her snout and hands. The ropes continue to get smaller and smaller as she looks at you with her eyes half open, chuckling a bit before putting her mouth back on top. She sucks whatever was inside of your dick out and you groan, causing her to chuckle again. When she pulls back off, you hear a wet pop come from your dick and she removes her hand from your cock, licking whatever dripped down off of it.

“You came so fast.” She says with a smile. “You really are a virgin.”

“S-shut up...” You tell her.

“I hope you don't forget about us.” She tells you with a smile. “Thank you for everything. I mean it.”

“Y-you're welcome. F-fuck.” You say, still coming down off the orgasm.

“Let's get back downstairs before Zofie or, god forbid, Ayn notices we're gone.” She tells you. “A-also, this doesn't mean anything. Like I said, it's just a bit of fun between friends.”

You smile, putting your now softening dick back in your underwear before she stops you. She takes your dick in her mouth one more time, sucking whatever could possibly still be inside out as you shudder from the sensation. She then wipes her mouth and your dick off with her hand, grabbing a tiny spray bottle from inside her bag and spraying herself down with it.

“Masks the musk so not even Ayn will notice.” She tells you. “Let's go eat.”

3 hours later

You stand out on the snowy lawn, all of your friends standing beside you as electricity begins to arc in the air. You stand back a bit before a massive circle opens up, a room full of anthros in robes being present. They all have glowing tablets and fancy looking holographic things on their wrists as they look at everyone by you. Ayn is the first to go through, waving goodbye to you. Twix and Nytro are next, looking back at you before waving a bit. You wave back before ARA and Warning both run through, not bothering to say goodbye as ARA carries the reactor with her. Zofie turns to you and looks up, smiling before pecking you on the cheek.

“We'll come back in about a month, okay?” She asks.

“Okay. I'll be waiting.” You tell her.

She smiles and walks back through, Vikna looking back at you.

“Are you sure you don't want to come?” She asks.

“I can't really leave.” You tell her. “I got my responsibilities and you have yours.”

“W-well, okay. Thank you for everything.” She tells you. “Like she said, we'll be back in a month.”

“Alright, goodbye.” You tell her. “I'll be waiting for you.”

She nods and walks through the portal, looking back and waving. The portal collapses inwards, leaving you on the lawn as alone as you started. You begin to wonder if it was all real before you realize something.

“Fuck, Zofie left her bag here!” You yell.


	4. Chapter 3: Knight

2 months later

It's been almost 2 months since everyone had to go back. There was something wrong with the portals and every anthro was told to go back through the portals that were opened up unless they wanted to be stranded here. Not every anthro left, but all of yours did. Vikna had a job to go do, as did Nytro, Zofie, and Ayn. ARA had to go back along with Warning, as they also had jobs they were required to perform.

The loneliness was almost crippling, as you went from having 4 friends to talk with, to none at all. Talking on your chat program helped, but it only kept you from falling into an even deeper depression. You take another drink from your whiskey bottle before setting it down beside you, continuing to do something you never used to do. Read the news. Then, you hear a whisper in your ear.

“Help me~.” It whispered to you. “Somebody, anybody~.”

Was somebody there? If so, who was it? When you look around, you find nobody there. You decide to ignore it and continue reading about all the new fuzzy citizens. The women who were considered ugly back home were seen as cute and cuddly here, boosting their self esteem and creating instant bonds with their new husbands.

When you're about to turn the page, you hear what sounds like an explosion outside. It nearly gives you a heart attack as you look outside to see what it was. When you look outside, you drop the newspaper in shock. It was like a circular painting, no, a portal showing buildings that stretched into the sky far beyond the field of view the image allowed. There were floating signs that showed pictures of anthros holding products that you couldn't quite read as well as glowing signs that seemed to emit from nowhere. The roads looked very clean and almost metallic in nature while the sidewalks were completely empty.

You unlock the recently repaired door, walking through the porch and getting a closer look at the image. You weren't stupid, so you knew it was a portal to the Rishan galaxy, but where it leads was anyone's guess. Then, you hear sounds come from it. Muffled gunfire. You get into cover behind the wall of your porch, your training kicking in after almost 2 years of down time. Then, you realize the gunfire isn't impacting around you and get back up again. Whatever was happening on the other side, you needed to find out.

You rush back inside, hurrying down the stairs and across the basement's living room. You make it to the old toy room and rush to the closet in the back, almost throwing it open. When you look through it, you find exactly what you're looking for. Your old Marine BDUs. You strip out of your old clothes, taking the BDUs out and putting them on as you grab your old Kevlar helmet. When it's strapped in place, you grab your old combat boots and tie the laces into a knot. After all of that, you put your plate carrier over your head and go further back into the closet.

You see a chest sitting in the back and pull it towards the entrance, stepping out of the closet once it's there. When you open it, you see all the weapons you dug out of your stashes way back when. LAWs, an M16, an M14, ammunition for both, a .32 revolver your dad gave you, a 1911 your grandpa gave you, and a few grenades made of Semtex and C-3. You also had 10 pounds of C-4 you had left over from the land mines you created to defend against a national guard attack.

You take the M14, racking a magazine inside and charging the bolt. You sling it across your back, taking the bandoleer of magazines before grabbing the M16 as well. Then, you grab the magazines for the M16, sliding them into your mag pouches on your plate carrier. When you're carrying as much ammo as you can, you grab the Semtex and C-3 grenades, each having a programmable timer that you made in your electronics class.

You then take the 10 pounds of C-4 you had and stuff it inside your bug out bag that was inside the chest too. It contained many useful items, which you didn't need to worry about right now. You strap the LAWs to the side of the bag and heft it onto your shoulders, the weight of everything already bringing back memories. You rush back up the stairs with great difficulty, slowing your pace when you remember you have over 100 pounds strapped to you now.

You grab 2 Velcro patches off a shelf, blowing the dust off of them as you put them on your vest. Your US flag and your /wfg/ patch. The /wfg/ patch was a stick figure sitting on a log with an SKS, writing in a book with some pine trees in the background. You smile at it and slap it a few times for good luck. Then, you call your dad.

“Hello?” He asks.

“Hey dad, I just want you to let someone know I'm going to be gone for a while. I don't know if I'll be able to come back when I go through, but I'm needed somewhere right now.” You tell him.

Just as you say that, gun fire erupts on the other side of the portal with nobody around to shoot said guns.

“Son, are you okay? God, tell me you didn't reenlist.” He says, panic evident in his voice.

“No, it's a bit more complicated than that. Just send someone over, I'm hiding the key under the cushion of the thatch couch. Understand?” You ask.

“I understand. You stay safe, you hear me?” He asks in return.

“I understand.” You tell him. “I love you.”

“Love you too son.” He tells you.

You hang up and rack a round into the M16, rushing out onto your lawn. When you stand in front of the portal, the gunfire is close, very close. You get a better look at the buildings on the other side, seeing a massive sky scraper at the end of the road which seems to tower above the rest. It almost glowed as you continued to study it. Then, a revelation hit you. This is The Tower. This portal was a portal to Katric.

You take a step back and sprint into the portal before tripping on the concrete below, catching yourself before you could smash your head into the sidewalk. You look behind you and see the portal close, leaving you stranded here for the time being. As you stand up, you hear gunfire behind you. The ground around you seems to explode as gun shots barely miss you. This gives you the incentive to duck inside the first building you see, taking cover on the far wall.

You're breathing heavily at this point from the exertion of having to carry all this weight. You did some endurance training, but definitely not enough to keep up with what you were going to be doing here. When you decide it's safe, you look around and see it's the lobby to some kind of apartment complex or hotel. The lady at the desk is peeking over, terrified by the gunfire.

“Miss, do you know what's going on?” You ask.

“T-terrorists have taken over.” She replies, stuttering as she does. “B-been stuck here s-since 7 in the m-morning.”

You take off your bag, opening up the food portion of it and grabbing an MRE. You walk over to the front desk and hand it to her.

“It's food. You're probably hungry, right?” You ask.

She nods, tearing open the bag.

“Do you know where I am?” You ask.

“You're in apartment complex C-705.” She replies, opening up a pack of crackers.

“Do you know where I can find Vikna Ramenskaya? Do you know who that is?” You ask.

“S-she's on floor 73. Room 73052.” She says, handing you a card shakily. “T-this is the key to get in.”

You take it and stuff it in a pocket before stepping over to an elevator. It opened automatically, revealing a round elevator inside. You step in, pushing in the floor code before the doors close. When the elevator begins moving, you're at the floor you specified in under 20 seconds. The door opens, giving way to a metallic hallway with glowing blue accents. You jog down the hallway, your gear making a lot of noise as you do. When you reach the right room, you open up the door with the key card. As the door opens, you can see Vikna set up by a window, holding a long gun of some kind. The couch, chairs, and other furniture were wrapped in some kind of plastic as you make your way inside

“What's the situation?” You ask, not bothering to say hello.

“Jack?!” She asks, nearly dropping the rifle out of the window. “W-what the fuck are you doing here?!”

“I said status report Kavkor!” You yell, not in the mood for pleasantries.

She looks back at you with fear in her eyes and takes a deep breath, closing her eyes before giving you a stone cold look in return.

“Snipers are all over the place with heavy machine guns and anti material rail guns as support. The streets are a complete kill zone.” She tells you before the look fades back to a more neutral one. “How the hell did you get here?”

“Portal. Do you have ranges on any of these guys?” You ask.

“It's outside of my laser rifle range, but I'd have to say about 500 to 1000 yards.” She tells you.

“Got it.” You say, putting the M16 down and grabbing the M14. “Point out targets and I'll engage them.”

“What?! You're just going to shoot them with that wooden rifle?!” She asks.

“You got a problem with that?” You ask.

She just sighs, getting out her binocular looking device.

“Come over here and look.” She says, pointing out the window. “See that window that's open over there? There's a sniper hiding inside it. He hasn't seen me yet, but-”

“Range.” You tell her, getting set up beside her.

“About 670 yards.” She replies.

You range the scope for 700 yards, steadying the rifle on the little box she has set up. When you get the rifle set up, you turn back to her.

“Windage?” You ask.

“I don't know what the hell a windage is.” She tells you.

“Great, let's just hope there's no wind.” You tell her, lining up a shot. “On the way.”

You pull the trigger with a smooth pull, letting a round fly.

BANG

“Miss, you're about 2 feet to the right of the window.” She tells you.

“Copy, on the way.” You tell her, adjusting.

You pull the trigger again.

BANG

“Rifle is falling. Good kill.” She tells you.

“New target.” You tell her, scanning the building the sniper was in.

“I got one about 750 yards away over there.” She says, pointing towards a circular skyscraper. “See him?”

“Copy, eyes.” You tell her, getting back into the swing of things after being out of combat for so long.

You were so used to using a GPMG that you almost forgot you were a pretty decent shot with a rifle. You adjust the rifle for 750 yards and see the open window in your scope.

“On the way.” You say.

BANG

You pull the trigger and the rifle spits a chunk of lead out the barrel, which slams into the target on the other side.

“Solid hit, I see the gun falling.” She tells you.

“We need to switch positions.” You tell her, your spidey senses tingling. “We're compromised.”

“Alright, let's go.” She says, closing the window up.

Just as she does, the sound of glass cracking emits from a now spiderweb-like window.

“Like I said, we need to move!” You tell her, pulling her along with you as you grab your M16.

Just as you both get out of the room, the window is shattered by machine gun fire, completely tearing it apart as you close the door to her room.

“Was that your apartment?” You ask.

“No, my apartment is a few floors up. No, we are not setting up in there, I don't care how much you want me to.” She tells you, putting her foot down.

“Okay, well I'm not asking the lady for a key, so we're blowing open some doors to get a better position.” You say, taking out a Semtex grenade.

“Is that a grenade?!” She asks.

“No, it's plastic explosives in the shape of a grenade.” You tell her.

“Jesus! Where the hell was all this?!” She asks.

“In the basement.” You tell her. “I hid it all in a trunk.”

“Why the fuck do you have explosives?!” She asks in disbelief.

“More of a contingency than anything. Never planned on using it outside of blowing stuff up for fun.” You tell her. “It works just as well as a breaching charge as it does a grenade.”

“God...fine.” She tells you. “But you need to be careful!”

You drop the Semtex on the floor on accident, picking it up again before smiling sheepishly. When you look up at Vikna, her eyes were wide with surprise and fear before calming down a bit.

“Uh, you were saying?” You ask.

She sighs, disappointed in you. She leads you over to a flight of stairs, opening the door as she checks up and down.

“Clear.” She tells you.

“Trailing.” You reply, using the irons just below the scope.

You follow Vikna up the stairs, hefting the heavy bag with you as you both make it up a couple flights of stairs. When you reach floor 80, she stops by the door and opens it, allowing you to peek through. Both of the men on the other side of the door were wearing some pretty official looking clothing and both had some kind of rifle similar to Viknas.

“You sure this is where that sniper was?” A scrappy looking coyote asks.

“Yeah, they said he was between floor 70 and 80.” A jackal replies. “I'd say he'd be as far up as possible.”

Guess Viknas odd floor choice just saved both of your asses. You look to her and motion for her to come close to you.

“Blue or red?” You ask, whispering to her.

“Red, definitely red.” She whispers back.

“Copy, they have body armor on?” You ask quietly.

“No, just guerrilla fighters with normal clothing on.” She replies.

“Sorry, I don't know what enlisted uniforms look like here.” You whisper. “We taking prisoners or are we engaging all hostile elements?”

“You're engaging.” She tells you.

You take out the M16 and flick it off safe, opening the surprisingly normal looking door. You take aim at the coyote first, squeezing the trigger.

BANG BANG

He drops like a rock and you switch targets.

BANG BANG BANG

The other hits the floor with a thud, crying out in pain as you rush down the hallway. You stop before the crying man, putting your rifle to his head before pulling the trigger. His body goes limp as you look back at Vikna, waving her through.

“He was neutralized!” She yells, obviously unhappy with you finishing the job.

“He was in pain.” You reply. “You confirm your kills Vikna. If you don't, they might survive and become a threat later on.”

Vikna just grits her teeth and you both make your way back to the stairway, moving up the building. When you both reach the top floor, you're out of breath, needing to sit down for a minute.

“I told you to do those endurance exercises!” Vikna yells, chastising you.

“Well I forgot.” You tell her in between breaths.

“How much are you carrying anyways?” She asks.

“100 pounds at least.” You tell her “Maybe 140 with this M14. 7.62 is a heavy cartridge and I have 9 magazines of it. Holy shit I'm fucking dying.”

Vikna chuckles and you smile, getting up off the stairs as you get inside the hallway.

“This room is empty.” She says, pointing to a room to your left. “Put a charge on the door.”

You grab a Semtex grenade, unwrapping the tape and looking back at her.

“Where do I put it? These are split doors and I don't want it to blow half way open.” You tell her.

“Just put it on the right half of the door. It should blow it open and we can squeeze through.” She tells you.

“Okay, setting the fuse for 10 seconds.” You tell her, slapping the Semtex on the door. “Arming...now!”

You both back away from the door as you stack up on the side, readying your rifle.

“3...2...1...Breaching!” You yell.

The Semtex explodes, blowing the door open as you both move toward the room. Your ears are ringing immediately afterward, bringing back memories you need to fight to keep down. Not here, not now. You had a job to do for the first time in over a year. You squeeze past the single door, pushing the other side open for Vikna to squeeze through. She goes through the room, checking it before waving you inside. She begins talking to you, but you can't hear her over the ringing in your ears.

“I can't hear you!” You yell to her. “My ears are ringing!”

You point to your ears and she seems to understand, letting you rest on the metallic wall while your hearing comes back to you.

“You good?” She asks.

“I'm good.” You tell her. “Open the window and give me some targets. Try and give me the positions of those HMGs and anti material guns.”

She nods and opens the window up by tapping on a holographic interface, watching as the window slides up through unknown means. When you make it to the window, Vikna is already pointing to a building across the way.

“There's a machine gunner right there in that window. It's about 850 yards away, think you can hit him?” She asks.

“I'll try.” You tell her, setting the rifle for an 850 yard shot.

You scan the building in question as Vikna grabs a glass table framed in a sort of plasticized metal. It looked flimsy, but that's probably because it was made of better materials than you were used to seeing. You set the bipod up on the rifle and take aim, steadying your breath and squeezing the trigger gently.

“On the way.” You tell her.

BANG

You fire a round and it flies true, smacking into the target as Vikna looks through her binoculars.

“Good shot. He's down.” She tells you. “Didn't know you could shoot so well.”

“Don't you guys have futuristic weapons here that calculate all this stuff for those perfect 1000 yard shots?” You ask.

“Do I look like a marksman?” She asks.

“Marksman?!” You ask loudly. “That's professional sniper territory!”

“Weird, we regularly pull off 2 mile shots with our snipers.” She tells you with a smirk. “Still, you're doing very well with that rifle of yours.”

“Thanks, it's an 800 yard rifle.” You tell her, looking for more targets.

“Alright, target is about 900 yards away on the 82nd floor. Can you hit him?” She asks.

“Like I said, I'll try.” You say, maxing out the range on your scope. “Range is maxed, can't go any further than this without guesstimating.”

“Alright, fire when ready.” She tells you.

“Copy, on the way.” You reply, pulling the trigger.

BANG

The round sails through the air, arcing until it reaches the target. You see a massive thing fall out of the window, indicating a good shot.

“That's 2 for 2.” Vikna tells you.

“Alright, time to move. Close the window.” You tell her. “2 shots is risky enough.”

She taps the interface and closes the window, prompting you both to start egressing the building.

“I think they're in here!” A voice shouts from outside.

“We're spotted.” You tell Vikna, pulling out a Semtex grenade. “Fuse is 3 seconds.”

She nods and you both creep over to the door, hearing footsteps outside.

“Come out with your hands up and we'll make your deaths painless!” He shouts inside.

“I don't negotiate with terrorists!” You shout back, pushing the arming button on your grenade.

You toss it out and cover your ears, feeling the ground shake and hearing a massive boom outside the room.

“GO!” You shout, switching to your M16. “DON'T STOP UNTIL WE REACH THE ROOF!”

You almost pull Vikna out of the door, throwing her towards the exit as you fire your M16 down the hallway. Smoke obscured your view as you continue to fire wildly, hoping to suppress the terrorists enough to retreat to the stairwell. When you both make it, you slam the door shut and rush up the stairs.

“Call an extract! We got their HMG and rail gunner!” You tell her, clambering up the steps. “I think it's safe for extract!”

“Alright!” She yells, taking out a little stick before it transforms into a phone. “This is Kavkor Vikna Ramenskaya to Tower control, requesting immediate evac from apartment C-705. Does anyone copy?”

You hear some muffled voices as you open the roof access, prompting Vikna to smile.

“Copy, we're on the roof.” She tells them. “Kavkor Ramenskaya out.”

She rushes through the door as you close it, crouching down to keep yourself hidden.

“They'll be here in about 30 seconds.” She says, pointing up. “That's them.”

You see a suspiciously familiar looking vehicle hovering around above the city before it almost dives down to meet you both. It pulls up just short of the roof and seems to stop on a dime, hitting you with a blast of air as it turns itself around. You rush towards the flying machine, watching the roof tops for snipers as you did.

“Get in!” You shout, covering for Vikna as she jumped inside.

You hop aboard and the doors close behind you, the shuttle lifting off again. Then, you feel queasy as the sight in the window doesn't match what you were feeling right now.

“Are we vertical?” You ask Vikna.

“Yeah, why?” She asks in return.

“So this thing has gravity generators or something?” You ask.

“Yeah, it's standard issue nowadays.” She tells you. “I remember a few years ago it was all brand new.”

“Jesus, why not tell me that mass isn't a real concept while you're at it.” You say, sitting down on the seat. “Where are we headed?”

“The Tower.” She replies, pointing towards The Tower. “We'll be safe there until-”

BANG

You see a shot fly through the rear door of the aircraft before it pierces through the rear of the cockpit. You hear a pained yelp before the aircraft begins to change course, sliding off to the side.

“Fuck! I think the pilot's hit!” You yell, making your way to the cockpit.

You force open the cockpit door and look at the tandem seating they were arranged in, seeing 2 wolves with mechanical looking eyes in their head. One of the wolves had a massive hole in his chest, blood pouring from it as the other one had a hole in his head.

“They're both dead!” You yell, throwing the rear most wolf out of his seat. “I'm taking the stick!”

You sit down in the seat, which was free of blood, much to your surprise. You set your bag down beside you and take the stick, putting your feet into the foot wells to control the rudders. When you depress the button in the middle of the stick, you begin to speak.

“Mayday, mayday, mayday this is...” You say, reading the name plate. “Papa Golf one seven niner Lima. Pilot and co-pilot are incapacitated, requesting priority landing in, well, whatever the hell this thing lands on.”

“Jackson?” SRK asks. “Is that you?”

“Copy, I need landing lights or something to guide me-”

Just as you say that, another shot blasts up through the cockpit and you take immediate action to evade.

“This is Papa Golf one seven niner taking enemy ground fire. I need to land this thing NOW!” You tell her, having to evade or be hit again. “Vikna! What's shooting at us?!”

“Rail gun fire! High velocity!” She tells you.

“Warning, where the hell is that vector?!” You ask.

“85 degrees vertical 320 degrees horizontal!” She tells you. “You'll be on a path towards the landing site!”

You look down at the gauges and see it's all gibberish. You can't make out the symbols or numbers on anything.

“I need lights! I can't read these moon runes!” You yell back, still trying to understand the symbols.

“Landing lights are active!” She tells you. “Follow them in!”

Just as she says that, another shot slices through the cockpit, breaking open the glass as you're showered with it. What surprises you most is that the glass doesn't cut you at all, instead feeling soft. You look up to see it already being repaired. Nano machines maybe.

“You're looking good Papa Golf. Keep that vector and you'll arrive at the docking station.” Warning tells you.

Another shot rings out and you begin yawing to the left, a red light popping up on screen. You tap the screen and it shows a diagram of the craft, the left wing being completely red. Vikna moves up into the cockpit, pulling the body out before sitting down. Her panic is immediate

“Left engine is hit and losing thrust!” Vikna tells you.

“I noticed!” You reply, pulling back on the stick.

“What are you doing?!” She asks loudly, panicking.

“I need to get some airspeed so we don't yaw into The Tower!” You tell her. “Minimum controllable speed!”

You pull back on the throttle, gaining speed in the dive before pulling up and increasing the throttle again.

“You got something that can slow us down before we crash into the other side of The Tower?!” You ask Warning.

“Copy Papa Golf. Arrestor grids have been deployed!” She yells back.

“Alright! Hang on Vikna, this is gonna be rough!” You tell her, pulling into a climb. “Increasing power!”

You pull back on the stick and keep the speed steady, at least, you think this is the speed gauge. You give the craft a bit of yaw and conclude it is indeed the speed gauge. When you gain enough height, you turn back around and see the massive opening in the side of the space elevator.

“I have the landing area in sight!” You tell her. “Approaching for-”

BANG

You hear whining coming from the right side before another warning light pops up.

“Engine 2 is down! We're gliding!” Vikna tells you.

“What's the glide ratio on this bird?” You ask over coms.

“Enough.” Warning tells you. “Keep it steady and you'll make it in!”

When the transmission finishes, you hear loud rattling underneath you as you're pelted with weapons fire from below.

“Taking ground fire.” You tell Warning. “Are we still green?”

“Yes, you're still green. Just glide it in!” She tells you excitedly.

You focus on the opening, which was getting closer by the minute as your speed keeps dropping. You were hoping Warning was right about the glide ratio.

“We're not gonna make it!” Vikna yells.

“We'll make it.” You say calmly.

“Pull up! PULL UP!” She shouts.

You feel the nose of the craft begin to dip as it begins losing lift to the front wings. The landing zone was right in front of you.

“Brace!” You yell.

Vikna braces herself and you slam into the deck, being thrown into the dash board as your helmet takes the brunt of the impact. Screeching fills the cockpit as you scrape along the metallic floor of The Towers interior. You feel a jolt and are thrown forward, hitting the back of Viknas seat as the craft is brought to a halt. Pushing yourself off the console, you get out of the seat walking to the front of the cockpit.

“You okay Vikna?” You ask.

“Were you not strapped in?” She asks before coughing a bit.

“There were straps?” You ask.

“You need to press the button to-agh, never mind.” She replies. “Let's get out of this thing before it explodes.”

You grab your bag off the floor rushing to the rear of the shuttle. When you get to the rear door, you see 3 holes in the metallic surface, allowing you to peer through into the outside world.

“Clear the shuttle!” An announcement comes over the radio. “Organics onboard! Possibly injured.”

“We're fine!” You yell from inside.

You hear the door attempt to open, but become stuck once it's unlatched. You sigh, walking up to the door and slamming your foot down as hard as you can, freeing it. A couple of dog anthros walk up to the rear door before stumbling back at your appearance.

“A new species?” One asks.

“A super soldier of some kind?” Another asks.

“An alien super soldier?” The first one asks.

“An alien Marine.” You correct, slinging your rifle. “Staff Sergeant Haigs, at your service.”

They all step back as you step down, falling flat when you hit the ground.

“So fucking tired...” You tell them, pushing yourself off the floor.

“Kavkor!” The first dog says.

You turn back and see Vikna hop down, flicking her tail from side to side after she does. She flicks her hair back and gives that weird two finger salute that Fluff insisted on using. You pick your rifle up off the floor and stand at attention, giving her a salute of your own.

“As you were.” She tells them, dismissing them from attention.

She turns back to you and walks in your direction, her foot steps faltering as she does so.

“I-I don't feel so-” She says before falling.

She's close enough to you that you can catch her with ease, but the fact that she fell is still an issue.

“I think you have a concussion.” You tell her.

“Is that why I'm so dizzy?” She asks, wrapping her arms around your neck for support.

“Did they give you any first aid training?” You ask. “Any at all?”

“N-no.” She replies. “There's no need for it.”

“I need a doctor!” You shout, doubting a medic would have time to treat her.

You see a brown and white dog come running forward from the back of the hangar as you lay Vikna down on the ground, keeping her spine straight, as you were taught to.

“Don't leave me.” She says weakly. “I'm so tired.”

“Don't sleep!” You yell. “You might never wake up!”

“What's going on over here?” The doctor asks.

“Vikna has a concussion.” You tell him. “She needs help.”

“That's an easy fix.” He tells you, pulling a sonic screwdriver looking device out of his pocket.

He pulls it back and Vikna gets up off the floor, shaking her head.

“She should be fine now.” He replies, pointing the device at your head too. “Same with you.”

You had a concussion? Well, it's a good thing this doctor was around.

“Vikna, who else is here?” You ask. “Anyone I know?”

“Well, you know everyone here, so-”

“Don't get smart with me right now. I need to know who's here.” You tell her.

“Nytro got stuck here with Ayn when everyone came over to visit. We were actually planning to go see you today, but I got stuck in the apartment building when the terrorists attacked.” She tells you. “Zofie also tried to come here, but I think she's stuck at the spacepor-”

“Where is it?!” You ask, losing your cool.

Vikna takes a step back at your outburst before pointing in the direction you just came.

“40 miles in that direction, but-”

“I'm going.” You tell her, walking to the hangar door.

“W-what?!” She asks. “You'll be killed!”

“Maybe I will.” You tell her. “I'm not leaving her there to die and I'll risk my life to save her.”

“She's being protected already!” Vikna yells.

“By what?! Police?! Soldiers who have never fought a battle in their entire lives?! Vigilantes?!” You ask. “I am going to save Zofie and that is final!”

You feel your feet stop working and nearly fall over before steadying yourself. When you try to move, you're unable. You look down and see a massive chunk of ice holding you in place. This makes you sigh, disappointed.

“You're not going anywhere.” Vikna says, her voice trembling with anger. “Not after what you just pulled!”

You draw your revolver and point it between your feet, pulling the trigger.

BANG BANG

Everyone in the hangar ducks and you break the ice around your feet, continuing towards the door. You feel your feet fail you again and fire the remaining cylinder into the ice again.

BANG BANG BANG BANG click

You turn yourself around and unload all the spent casings into your hands. You grab a speed loader from a pouch on your trousers, slapping it in as you walk towards Vikna.

“Vikna, stop this.” You tell her.

“No...” She tells you, thrusting her hand out and freezing your feet to the floor.

You fire 3 rounds into the ice, shattering it as you continue forward. Your ears are beginning to ring at this point, but you could still hear Vikna. Her hands are shaking as you advance, but she continues to freeze your feet to the ground. You fire 1 shot into the ice and it's enough to break free. She's getting less focused.

“S-stop!” She tells you, thrusting her hand out.

Your feet are frozen to the ground again, but a swift tug on your boots removes them from Viknas icy clutches. She shoots another blast of ice at you, but all it does is frost your boots. You holster the weapon and approach Vikna as she begins to heave and sob, making one final attempt to stop you. She tries to freeze the ground again, but all you feel is a cool breeze as she falls to her knees.

You quickly rush to her and get on your knees as well, pulling her into an embrace.

“Y-you're so stupid! Y-you'd go out a-and die for someone who y-you've only t-talked with f-for t-two m-months.” She tells you in between sobs. “W-why?”

“Because-”

Before you can give a reason, the hangar door blows open, prompting you to push Vikna down and level your rifle with the door. All the maintenance personnel flee from the door as you watch the smoke clear. 3 coyotes rush through the door, weapons in hand before you pull the trigger.

BANG BANG

The first one goes down.

BANG

Another drops.

Click

You feel your stomach sink as you draw your revolver firing the remaining shots into the last coyote. Luckily, his scrawny frame can't withstand the gunfire and he drops too, whining like a wounded animal. You quickly swap magazines for your rifle as more insurgents pour into the hangar. You flick over to AUTO and hold the trigger down, sweeping the doorway with automatic fire as the terrorists are cut down.

“CALL SECURITY DAMMIT!” You scream over the gun fire, slotting another magazine into the rifle.

You hit the bolt release and switch back to SEMI and put single shots into the advancing wave of canines. You run out of ammo and try to grab another magazine, but can't find one. A wolf is charging you down with some sort of an electric lance. You grit your teeth, grabbing a knife from your chest rig and bringing it down on the front of your rifle. A bayonet you kept from Afghanistan, which had no place on your GPMG.

You lift yourself off the ground and let out a battle cry, charging towards the wolf as your screams carry you further. This makes the wolf falter, as he didn't expect his violence to be met with violence. Everything seemed to slow down as your senses heightened. The clank of the metallic floor under your boots, the gentle whir of a central air system delivering oxygen to the station, and the smell of freshly burned cordite burns your nose. Holographic signs pulsating with energy as they display things in an unknown text.

You drive the bayonet forward, lancing the poor wolf as he whines. You twist the bayonet and slice, his guts spilling out all over your boots. After this, you pull the bayonet out and kick him to the ground, stabbing him through the neck before removing the bayonet again. Blood steamed against the barrel of your rifle, which was hot enough boil water. As you charged for the door, you hear gunfire come from down the hall.

Insurgents retreated into the hangar, only to be met with a madman and a bayonet. You run down a rat, stabbing into him as he squeaks in pain. You twist and kick him down, using the butt of your rifle to smash the snout of a feline who tries to lance you with a spear of some kind. The terrorists with actual rifles come into view and you manage to stab one, but the other gets a bead on you. Just as you accept that you fucked up, you hear gun fire from behind you.

The coyote drops like a stone as you look back, seeing Vikna holding her own gun, still pulling the trigger.

“It's empty.” You tell her.

She doesn't seem to hear you, as she begins hyperventilating.

“It's empty!” You yell to her.

Before you can go help her with the trauma of shooting somebody, you hear more footsteps coming down the hall. You manage to find a magazine and slap it inside, pulling the charging handle back as you aim at the door. When the figures round the corner, something tells you to wait. You then recognize a certain hybrid among the group, dressed in some kind of futuristic security garb.

“Stand down!” He yells, rushing to the front of the group. “Jack? Is that-”

You sling your rifle and rush back over to Vikna, who's loading her weapon again. As you reach her, she pulls back the slide and tries to level the weapon with the group. You wrestle the gun from her hand and grab her shoulders.

“GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF!” You scream, shaking her gently as she hyperventilates.

You pull her into a hug and stroke her hair gently, waving Nytro away as you do. She accepts it immediately and begins to cry into your shoulder.

“Jack, are you-”

“Out.” You tell him.

“Wha-”

“GET OUT!” You shout, drawing your 1911.

You hear everyone leave the hangar as you continue to hold Vikna, letting her cry while your arms wrap around her.

“Shh, it's okay. I'm here.” You coo softly, stroking her hair as you speak. “I'm not going anywhere. They're all gone. You did good.”

If you had to hazard a guess, you'd say the trauma of shooting somebody had mixed with the fear that you were going to die sent her into state of hysteria. She tries to say something but you shush her, letting her cry into your chest as both of you sit alone in the hangar. Eventually, she manages to calm herself enough to speak.

“W-why?” She asks.

“Why what?” You ask softly.

“Why'd y-you ask them t-to leave?” She asks, sniffling a bit.

“I didn't want him to see you cry.” You tell her.

“T-thank you.” She tells you.

You keep her in an embrace as both of you kneel on the floor, silent.

3 hours later

You managed to calm Vikna down enough to go back to her duties while you're given a place to stay the night. She promised to let you go with a task force to retrieve Zofie, which was the only comforting thought you've had all day. When the door closes beside you, you fall to your knees. You begin hyperventilating as you almost tear off your backpack.

When you open it, you find a bottle of whiskey inside, uncapping it. You shakily raise it to your mouth and begin to chug it, your hands shaking even more as the pain of the alcohol going down your throat was realized. You pull the bottle away and gasp for air, coughing up alcohol that had made it into your lungs from said gasp. The bottle is capped and you get up off the floor, shakily making your way to the couch that was provided.

You didn't care about examining the couch rather than sitting on it. If there's anything on top of it, it's about to become flat. When you sit down, you let the bottle drop from your hands, hitting the ground with a loud clink as your shaking hands grasp at your helmet. One of the first things you do when you come to this new world is fucking kill people. What the hell is wrong with you? Were you some kind of monster?

Then the sounds return. A dog barking, shots all around as you hear the familiar sound of shots pinging off the walls. You huddle into a ball, fearing for your life as the sounds of war rage around you.

“Corporal, I don't wanna die...” A voice calls out to you. “Please don't let me die...”

“Don't worry Staff Sergeant, I won't let you die...” You reply. “I'll get you out of here...”

“No you won't Corporal.” He says, gripping your Kevlar. “Tell my kids their daddy was a hero.”

“I will Sergeant.” You say, trying to contain your own tears.

“I-I want my mama. Please, where's my mama? Mama! Mama!” He shouts, gripping you tightly. “M-mama. Please mama, I don't wanna-grk-.”

The Staff sergeant begins choking on his own blood and you hold him close, keeping him warm as he finally succumbs to the wound he received.

“Well corporal, you're the next in command.” A man tells you. “What do we do now?”

“We get the Staff Sergeant back home.” You reply, hoisting him up. “Then we call an airstrike on the village. Everyone is hostile, sanitize the town.”

The private seems to understand, helping you lift the Staff sergeant.

“Jack?” Another voice asks.

“Give me a second.” You tell them.

“Jack...”

“I said give me a second!” You shout, turning towards the voice.

When you turn around, you see Nytro standing in the doorway, a confused expression adorning his face. When you look back down, you see you're carrying your bag over to the couch. You drop the bag, looking back at Nytro as your hands begin to tremble. The LAWs clatter on the ground as ammunition clacks around inside.

“Are you okay?” He asks, making his way into the room.

You sit back down on the couch and remove your helmet, setting it down on top of the bag. After this, you grab the whiskey off the floor and remove the cap again, drinking it all down desperately.

“Hey!” He yells, grabbing the bottle from you. “You're gonna send yourself into a coma!”

You just hang your head and sniffle a bit, swallowing what was in your mouth before grimacing. It burned your throat, but you needed to forget.

“Drowning yourself in alcohol won't help the problem.” He tells you. “I'm gonna get someone in here who will.”

He grabs the cap off the floor and puts it back on the bottle, walking out with it in hand. You grab your hair, trying to calm yourself as you battle between what's real and what's fake. The sounds of battle try to invade your thoughts, but you desperately fight them off, hyperventilating as you do. You stifle your hyperactive breathing with a hand over your mouth, stopping the flow of air to your lungs. Your vision blurred with every beat of your heart before you hear the door to your room slide open.

“Sweetie?” A voice asks.

You look up and see Ayn, who immediately walks over to you.

“Oh my god...” She says, covering her mouth. “You look terrible.”

You just lower your head, nodding. She sits down next to you, putting an arm around you as she rubs your shoulder gently.

“Have you ever lost someone precious to you?” You ask.

Ayn nods her head, pulling you into her. She strokes the back of your head gently as you allow it all to happen, not making an effort to aid or hinder it.

“Yes...” She tells you somberly. “What's bothering you?”

“I lost my platoon sergeant and had to lead my platoon back to base.” You tell her. “He died in my arms, crying for his mother.”

You grab a picture of the man from your plate carrier, showing it to her.

“He had 2 sons and a wife. I had to tell them their daddy was a hero and that her husband died fighting bravely.” You tell her. “I shouldn't be troubling you with all this. It's bad enough that I have to deal with it.”

“Stop it.” She tells you. “I'm worried about you.”

“I'm fine, please.” You tell her. “I just need-”

“You need somebody.” She interrupts. “Stop it. Just stop it.”

“Ayn...” You say weakly.

“Stop trying to be brave! We can take care of ourselves! We're not damsels in distress and we're certainly not helpless! Every time I see you push yourself like this, it hurts to watch. You're tormenting yourself with this false sense of needing to protect us when we are perfectly capable of doing that ourselves.” She tells you, her voice beginning to falter.

“I-I know.” You tell her with a smile. “You four are pretty badass, aren't you?”

“Yes, we are.” Ayn replies, chuckling.

You both sit there with Ayn rubbing your hair intermittently. It didn't completely eradicate the pain like you thought it would, but it helped a bit to be in someone's arms. You hear the door open, but she quickly shoos whoever entered away.

“Who's there?” You ask.

“ARA, she's curious about what's going on.” Ayn tells you, running her fingers through your hair.

“Well, let her stay. She's not hurting anyone.” You tell her.

“W-well, okay.” Ayn says, waving her back in.

“H-hi Jack, how's everything going?” ARA asks apprehensively.

“Good now that you're here.” You say, looking up at her.

Ayn and ARA both chuckle, ARA more awkwardly than Ayn.

“I appreciate the compliment.” ARA tells you.

“Do you have any questions?” You ask.

“Well, miss Vikna asked me to come in and check on you since miss princess Ayn has yet to return with any good news.” ARA replies. “I, also, kind of wanted to check on you myself. Considering that you are a new friend and all.”

“Well, tell Vikna I'm feeling a bit better now. I appreciate that you care as well, thank you ARA.” You tell her sweetly.

ARA smiles back before her ears twitch, causing her to look diagonally. She nods a couple times and looks back at you, unsure of what to say.

“Who are you talking to?” Ayn asks.

“Miss Vikna.” ARA replies. “She's, uh, not in the most emotionally stable state right now.”

“Oh god...” You say, getting up. “Come on, we need to find her.”

“I'll lead the way.” ARA says in an over the top voice, giving you a Terran salute. “You can count on me.”

You chuckle at that and grab your bag, helping Ayn up from the couch. You take the helmet off the top of the bag and strap it to your head, clicking the buckle in place before following ARA out. As you 3 walk, you study the walls and signs. The holographic signs were blue like ARAs eyes and mouth, which said quite a bit about the importance of the color here. There was a glowing blue strip that ran along the length of the hallway on both sides, roughly at waist level for you and Ayn. It was there for no other purpose than to look cool, which you approved of. Everything inside this space elevator was just as you imagined it, which was pretty cool.

You all reach the room where Vikna was in and ARA opens the door, watching as the double doors slide open for her.

“Miss Vikna, I brought mister Jack.” She tells her.

You walk inside and look around the room, which was almost the exact same as yours. The only difference was that it had a small mini-bar that was staffed by an anthroid, who paid no mind to Vikna. When you look to Vikna, you drop your bag and rush to her front, pulling her into an embrace. She's sobbing into her hands before you wrap your arms around her, prompting her to reciprocate the gesture.

“Sh sh shh, it's okay.” You coo. “I'm here now.”

“It-it's all my fault.” She stutters. “Y-you're sad because of me. I-I brought yo-you here.”

“No you didn't.” You say calmly. “I stepped through that portal of my own free will. I wanted to help all of you.”

“N-no, I made you come through b-because I asked for help.” She tells you. “T-then the portal appeared a-and you came through.”

“Vikna, I will never be mad when you ask me to help. Especially when your life is in danger.” You tell her. “I do this because I care about you, not because you're forcing me to do it. Please, don't beat yourself up over my decision to help you.”

Vikna tries to say something else, but you hold her tight against you, keeping her calm. She leans into you as you hold back tears of your own. You have to stay strong for her. At least until she's had enough time to build up her wall again.

The next day

You feel the elevator slow to a halt as it hits the ground floor, opening up to a massive plaza area. The room is filled with refugees of all shapes and sizes, species varying wildly from known to unknown. A young Kleyka had pointed to you earlier and called you an alien, which made you smile.

“Sergeant, how's everything looking?” Vikna asks over the earpiece.

“Terrible. Just how bad is this insurgency?” You ask in return.

“It's bad. Really bad. Half of the city is under, uh, insurgent control.” She replies as you walk through the crowd of people. “The Tower is at capacity and can't fit any more refugees.”

You look around the room and instantly know that's bullshit. The reason is probably because businesses inside The Tower don't want to cave and give any space to the refugees.

“Well, they're gonna have to make room for an airport, er, spaceport full of refugees, because we're pulling everyone back, and I mean everyone.” You tell her.

“Jack, there's more than 400 people trapped at that space port. We don't have the-”

“Don't give me that 'we don't have the space' bullshit. I see lots of space in front of stores that need to make some god damn concessions.” You tell her. “I thought these vendors would be a bit more progressive considering how far ahead you people have gone with technology.”

“Jack...”

“No, they're coming here and that's final.” You tell her.

“Well, they'll be your problem if you do.” She tells you.

“I'm fine with that. I can be very persuasive.” You say, finally making it to the tram line. “Squad, mount up!”

Everyone gets inside as you sit down on the seat next to the door, checking your weapon. The tram was fast as a bullet once it was sealed. All the people and refugees watched as the tram goes by, carrying soldiers fully kitted up for war. None of these men had ever seen combat, and the woman attached to the unit was the biggest idiot you've ever seen.

She started spouting about equality, so you challenged her to an arm wrestling match. You weren't the strongest person there by any means, but you won without much fight. You respectfully asked for her to be replaced with someone who was capable of winning against you.

“Typical meathead males, think it's all about strength.” She said.

“Then show me exactly what makes you worthy of being on my squad.” You told her.

She then proceeded to try and take you down, but she simply didn't have the smarts to pull it off, not to mention it required strength. You stood firm in your decision, calling into question the validity of the rest of the squad. As you had found, only 5 people were capable of challenging you and beating you in hand to hand, as well as arm wrestling. The woman called you a sexist pig and you called her a speciest, which she didn't take to kindly to. Once you had found more men who could beat you in combat, you made your squad and filed down into the elevator, leading to where you were now.

“Everyone ready?” You ask.

Everyone confirms they're ready before you slap a magazine inside your rifle, racking a round inside. You had 2 laser riflemen, 5 regular riflemen, a SAW gunner, 2 heavy riflemen, and you. Not exactly a full squad, but it was the best you could do with the limited time you had.

“Alright, we're going to be taking 5 APCs to the spaceport to ferry civilians to and from the spaceport. Each APC carries 50 people plus 2 crew, so 5 of you will drive, and 5 of you will gun. I'll take gunner on the lead vehicle.” You tell them, taking out a folded cloth.

“Sergeant, what's that?” A heavy rifleman asks.

“A flag.” You tell him.

“Sergeant, are you sure it's wise to put a foreign flag on a Katrician vehicle?” He asks.

“It's for a VIP.” You tell him. “She'll know what it means.”

“She, Sergeant?” He asks. “You're doing this for a girl?”

“Did I not just say that we're evacuating the entire spaceport?” You ask in return. “There's a VIP there, sure, but she's not the only reason we're going.”

The tram stops and you get up, carrying the flag in one hand and your M21 in the other. You had removed the scope, since it had a scope that didn't need to be zeroed every time it was attached, a little modification your dad made to it. When you make it outside, the APCs were waiting for you, hovering in place as the slick lines and angled fronts made them look invincible. You were assured that it could take a hit from a rail gun and survive, but your previous experience with APCs made you doubt this claim.

There was gunfire in the distance, sounding very much similar to AK fire and SKS fire. It brought back unpleasant memories of sitting in a tin can, waiting to be blown up as the Bradley gunner lights up whoever dares poke their head out. When you reach the lead vehicle, it lowers and a side door opens. You ignore it and clamber up top, removing the Katrician flag and unraveling your own. The red and white stripes, flapped in the slight breeze as you attached the flag to the flag pole. You were surprised, as you thought they'd have holographic flags on the lead vehicles for no reason other than to be cool.

“Sir-”

“Sergeant.” You immediately correct. “I work for a living.”

“I heard that.” Vikna tells you over coms, irritated.

“Uh, Sergeant, I'm pretty sure this is a violation of the Serkonian convention of-”

“This entire operation is a violation of some bullshit convention you space furries have put in place.” You interrupt, annoyed he'd care more about the rules than saving civilians. “First squad! Mount up!”

Everyone gets into their respective vehicles, buttoning up as you walk towards the gunners seat. It was a truly massive machine, looking more like a helicopter on the inside than an APC. Maybe that's because it's technically an aerial vehicle. Whatever, it doesn't matter right now.

“Alright, Eagle 1 to all Eagles, we're moving out to the spaceport.” You tell them over the radio.

40 minutes later

Zofie

The terrorists have been trying to take over the spaceport all day, attacking it and only being repelled by people who have a weapon as well as off duty soldiers. You thought you saw Nytro a couple of times, but it was only someone who looked similar. More gunfire sounded from the entrance of the spaceport as the group known simply as "The Separationists" tried to gain access to the lobby.

More screams terrified you as well as all the others stuck inside the glass lined room. You crouch down into a ball as the gunfire continued, pained cries and whines coming from the entrance as people gave their lives to protect the masses. You feel more tears flow down your cheeks as you begin to wonder if you'd ever get out of here alive. Then, louder gunfire came from outside and the people around you moved to the window.

“Is the army here?!” One asks excitedly.

“We're saved!” Another shouts ecstatically.

“What kind of flag is that? Red, white, and blue?” Yet another voice asks.

This immediately catches your attention, as you've never heard of a red, white, and blue flag before. You get up off the floor, wiping the tears from your eyes as best you can while pushing through the crowd. When you get to the window, you see the flag they were talking about. It looked like...no, there's no way. That's impossible! You feel your phone begin to ring and you take it out of your pocket, pulling it open to see an unrecognized number. You answer tentatively.

“Hello?” You ask.

“I'm on my way. Get the door for me.” Is all it said before hanging up.

That sounded like...no, there's no way he could be here. Just as you say that, the men dismount their vehicles and one catches your eye.

“What's with his face?” One asks.

“An alien maybe?” Another asks.

You feel yourself begin to shake, so you look back and see your tail wagging, almost violently so. It's him. He gets on top of the tank and grabs the flag, wrapping it around a pole before waving everyone along after him, running off the landing pad and towards the spaceport. The flag flaps in the breeze as laser fire and gun fire strike all around him, prompting him to return fire. The loud bangs made your ears fold down in response, scaring you a bit before you saw him reach the door.

“Keep those fucking insurgents suppressed!” He says in a voice you never really associated with him.

His voice was stressed, higher pitched, and generally more assertive than his normal speaking voice. You make your way over to the door and push past everyone, opening the door for him.

Jack

You hear the door open beside you and look to your left, seeing Zofie standing in the doorway.

“Jackson!” She yells, pulling you into a hug. “I-I thought we were goners!”

You initially try to push away, but realize she's been stuck inside a war zone for almost a day now.

“Nobody gets left behind.” You say in a more calm voice, wrapping your gloved hands around her torso. “Especially not you.”

“Danke...” She says, beginning to cry.

“No, none of that right now.” You tell her. “We need to get you out of here.”

You had your squad set up hard light shields to protect the crowd from gunfire as they were herded into the APCs. While everyone filed out of the spaceport, gunfire came from inside as the last of the survivors were loaded in. It turns out that over 150 people had died due to the fighting, which weighed heavy on your heart. While these people sat in this spaceport getting shot, you slept on a couch in The Tower, sleeping somewhat peacefully. You weren't leaving here until every single trace of this insurgency was crushed underneath your boot. They could consider it foreign aid, mandatory foreign aid.

As the last of the patrons filed out, you closed the door and rushed them all back towards the APCs. You held your American flag proudly, holding it high for everyone to see as you make your way back to the APC yourself. Old Glory flapped in the breeze as she symbolized freedom from the oppression of the British. To these people, it symbolized hope, rescue, and freedom from the terror of being inside a flashy blue tomb.

You had the men with hard light shields follow you closely as they too retreated back to the APCs, manning their vehicles. When you arrived at the lead vehicle, you detached the flag from the rebar pole, hanging it on top of the hovering APC under a hail of gun fire. When you look down, you see someone is taking a picture with their camera. You smile awkwardly, not liking people taking your picture, but you could forgive the person just this once.

When everyone is inside the APCs, it leaves you and Zofie with a few hard light shields covering you both. You take her to an APC in the back, not wanting her in the lead vehicle. She protests this decision, but you make her understand that the lead vehicle is the most dangerous. When she decides to take your advice, you smile and watch her leave. After she's safely inside the APC, you get inside the lead vehicle and signal to everyone that it was time to move.

1 hour later

It took all of you a bit longer to get back, but you all eventually made it through without a scratch.

“Eagle 1 to Eagle actual, civilians secured. Escorting to Tower entrance.” You tell Vikna, already taking the flag off the lead vehicle.

“Copy, Eagle 1, You'll have to make room for them.” She replies.

“Alright, Eagle 1 out.” You tell her, turning the microphone off.

When you hop off the APC, you're greeted immediately by Zofie. She had split off from the group and waited for you.

“T-thank you for coming.” She tells you. “I'm s-so grateful.”

You pull her into a hug, careful not to pull too hard.

“Let's get inside. It'll be safer there.” You tell her, beginning to hear space AK fire in the distance.

3 hours of hard negotiating and shouting later

You managed to 'find' space for more refugees in front of the shops all across The Tower. They were shrewd negotiators, but you managed to brow beat them into submission. They've also been getting more business, since people could more readily reach them with all the space to move around they gained. You made it to the 'quarters' and walk over to the glass fridge, pushing the button Vikna told you about before opening the door. Seriously, why can't they just use a door handle?

You take an orange soda out of the fridge and crack it open, taking a sip before sitting down. Unfortunately, once you sat down, your Bluetooth-esque device starts ringing again. You push the talk button, since you didn't have any fancy neural implants like everyone else did.

“Hello?” You ask.

“H-hey Jack, uh, I was wondering if you were down for a movie tonight.” She tells you. “I'm in room 2375 if you want to come and watch something.”

“Uh, sure. What kind of movie?” You ask, pulling out a DVD binder.

“Do you have any preferences?” She asks.

“I've got some movies here in an, uh, optical disk format. Do you have anything that plays those?” You ask in return.

“Ja, I do.” She replies. “That's ancient.”

“Alright, I'll be over in a bit.” You tell her, sniffing your pits and crotch before reeling back. “I gotta find a shower.”

“Oh, I have a shower!” She tells you excitedly.

You feel butterflies in your stomach, but shake the feeling away. She probably just wants to help, right?

“Uh, okay.” You tell her uneasily. “I'll be there in a bit.”

You hang up and shudder. You had a vague idea of what she wanted to do, as you've heard of 'Netflix and chill' before. However, you just don't know if you could do this to Zofie. As far as you knew, she hasn't really had sex with anybody before. Well, outside of a 69 she did with Nytro, and an apparently non-canon fuck with him as well. You couldn't do this to her, as you didn't really know whether you loved her or not. Not to mention she might not love you either. Hopefully it wouldn't be what you thought it was, and you're just being a perv.

You shove the binder of DVDs inside the backpack they were inside and hoist said pack onto your back. When you had it on your back, you take another orange soda with you and shove it inside your mag pouch. No need to take ammo with you, but fuck taking your plate carrier off right now. When you exit the door, you realize that you can't read the signs on the doors. You call Zofie back and she picks up immediately.

“Hello? Is something wrong Jack?” She asks.

“I, uh, can't read the door signs. Can you put something by the door so I know which room you're in?” You ask.

“You can't read?” She asks.

You're tempted to make a crayons and glue joke, but it'd fly right over her head.

“I can't read your language. I can speak it, but you guys seem to have a different set of symbols.” You tell her.

“Oh, I understand that.” She says, shuffling something around in the background. “I'll put a box outside.”

Just as she says that, you see her about 5 doors down, pushing a box outside.

“Oh, I see you.” You say. “I'll be there in a bit. Bye.”

You hang up and she looks around the hallway, seeing you. She waves excitedly, pulling the box back inside. You make your way to her room before entering, seeing she had made some food for the both of you. When you enter, the door closes behind you and Zofie sniffs the air. She makes her way towards you, still sniffing until she reaches you. She almost presses her nose up against your clothes as she smells you up and down before smiling.

“So that's where that musk is from.” She says, smiling sheepishly and looking down. “Sorry if I'm being rude.”

“Not so much rude as it is odd.” You reply.

“Well, I think we can postpone the shower, you don't stink like you said you did.” She says with a smile. “What movie did you bring? I'm curious to see what kind of movies you have that you'd need an optical drive to play them.”

“Well, they're not black and white if that's what you're asking.” You tell her. “Got an old documentary I was in and a couple of movies as well.”

“That sounds great.” She says. “I made some food for us. The kitchen here isn't adequate, but I made do!”

“That's sweet of you.” You tell her.

“Well, it's much healthier than eating pop corn, and I know you need to keep losing that weight.” She says, poking your belly.

You chuckle at that and take off your backpack, taking the soda off of your plate carrier before setting down your plate carrier. Once everything is off your body, you draw the old pistol from your plate carrier and shove it in your pocket, thumbing the hammer forward. Zofie is a bit alarmed by this, so you put a hand on her shoulder.

“It's for our protection. Don't worry, I'm not going to pull it out.” You tell her. “Let's pop that documentary in.”

You walk up to the very square looking box with more unnecessary blue lines running along it to indicate it was 'futuristic' or something. You never got why more lights equals more sci-fi, but people told you it was supposed to look like this. It was kind of cool, but the metallic floors and holographic interfaces were much more convincing. Not to mention the buildings were all sorts of odd shapes. Enough ranting, time to play a movie.

You eventually figure out which button opens the DVD port and slot the disk inside. When the disk is in the player, you press the same button again and walk back to the couch, seeing a massive hologram pop up. It projects a TV into thin air as you wait for the documentary to start. Once it does, Zofie leans onto your shoulder. The documentary starts with gunfire, which makes you tense up a bit. When you hear your squad lead shouting orders, you immediately perk up.

“This, is Helmand. It is widely considered to be the most dangerous province, in the entire Afghan theater.” The British narrator begins. “However, with dangerous enemies comes even more dangerous soldiers. Royal Marines, Grenadiers, US Army special forces, and US Marines are stationed in this area to keep the Al Queda threat at bay. Throughout this documentary, we will be following a platoon of United States Marines into battle, documenting them, interviewing them, and filming their firefights. Welcome, to hell's highway.”

A music track begins playing as the camera crew walks through a C-5 galaxy, the cargo hooks and nets rattling and shaking as the aircraft experienced turbulence. The camera passed over a few guys, asking them for input.

“Yeah, I'm ready to kill some hadjis! WOO!” A man yelled.

“It's really thrilling to be going into combat for the first time! I hope we get to see some action!” Another yells over the sound of the engines.

As the camera pans over the Marines, all of whom are waving at the camera, Zofie sees something.

“Wait, go back!” She says, grabbing the remote.

She rewinds the video and stops it on an image of you looking at the floor, holding your bag in your hands as you're shook about by turbulence.

“Is that you?” She asks.

“Yeah.” You tell her. “I was terrified that we were gonna get shot down.”

“The Marines head off to their base camp, Camp Leatherneck. This is where they will work, play, and rest the entire time they are here. Unless, of course, they get sent out on patrol.” The narrator quips.

The scene cuts to the rec room, where all the Marines hung out. There were a couple of guys playing ping pong ball, some dudes watching old Disney movies, some dudes playing video games, and a couple of guys watching the news. You were nowhere to be seen, as the next scene showed you sitting in a guard tower.

“We gotta watch the road, make sure no insurgents try to drive through and take us all out with a car bomb.” You tell the camera, your voice considerably more high pitched than it is now. “Might not wanna stand near the edge like that either, this tower isn't very stable.”

Zofie chuckles at this.

“You sound like you huffed helium!” She says giddily.

You smile at that before the scene changes. It shows your unit walking through a mountainous area, cracking jokes and making idle chatter. A few minutes later and you're all under attack, getting into fighting positions as the cameraman runs for cover.

“Our camera crew comes under fire from Taliban forces, taking cover quickly as the Marines bark out a response.” The narrator says.

As the cameraman takes cover, you see yourself move down the line towards him. Then, you start filling sandbags with dirt before stacking them by the cameraman. You take a hit to your plate carrier and groan in pain.

“Oh my god!” Zofie yells, holding you. “Did that hurt?”

You touch the area that was hit when you got shot and nod.

“It hurt a lot, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be.” You tell her.

Just as you say that, you get back up and continue filling the sandbags for the cameraman. Once all 6 were filled, the cameraman had a place to hide while the rest of you took care of the problem.

“Private First Class Haigs risked his own life to protect the cameraman as he took fire and got hit by an enemy sniper round. Luckily, it hit his armor and didn't go through.” The narrator says. “The cameraman was lucky too, as bullets had been hitting the sandbags continuously for the entire firefight.”

The documentary goes on, talking about some other Marines and the Royal Marines that you met during your deployment. While this is all happening, Zofie is gradually getting more and more touchy feely with you. First she was just rubbing her cheek against your shoulder gently, but eventually she started to feel up your arms and chest.

“Zofie, is something wrong?” You ask.

“Mate with me.” She whispers.

“What?!” You ask.

“I said maybe!” She immediately tries to correct.

“No, I heard you say 'mate with me' with my own two ears.” You tell her. “Trying that slight of hand with me isn't going to fly.”

“F-fine, I said mate with me!” She tells you, grabbing your arm. “I-I'm just so hot and bothered about this whole thing that I can't stand it. I need someone right now and you're just so nice and-”

“Zofie, I know there are sinths here that can help you with this sort of thing.” You tell her.

“N-no. I want-unf-you.” She tells you, beginning to rub her legs together. “God your m-musk, it's so good~.”

You push the call button on your earpiece and a holographic display pops up in front of you. When you scroll through your contacts, you see a picture of Ayn smiling for a picture before you press the call button. She picks up almost immediately.

“Hello?” She asks.

“I need you here, now!” You yell, beginning to panic. “Zofies room!”

“I'm on my way.” She tells you, hanging up.

“F-fick mich.” She says, shoving her fingers down her pants. “Fick mich gut.”

“Zofie!” You yell.

She doesn't stop and the door opens, revealing Ayn in the doorway.

“Help, please?” You ask. “I-I don't know what to do.”

“Oh, sweetie.” She says, walking over to you two. “Zofie, can you hear me?”

“A-ah, fich mich!” She yells in German.

“She's gone. Jack, you know what you need to do, right?” She asks before sniffing the air. “Good god, you're scent bombing her!”

“B-but it's my first time! I think it's hers too, right?” You ask.

“Yeah, well, sort of.” She tells you. “You need to give it to her rough. Nytro says she likes that.”

“N-nein! That hurt mein c-clitoris last time he was-ah-rough.” Zofie interjects, going back to masturbating.

“But that's wrong!” You yell. “All of you may be characters driven by the desire to procreate, but I'm not!”

“Come on Jack, I don't need my magic to know how much you want to go to town on her.” Ayn replies, smirking deviously.

“Y-you fucking devil.” You tell her. “I-It won't even feel good for her.”

“Honey, she's done enough foreplay to squirt at the first touch.” Ayn tells you. “You're not gonna blow before her, even with your stamina. Now stick your dick in her and take responsibility for yourself.”

You look over to Zofie and see her left hand going to work on her tit as her right furiously fingers her visibly wet sex.

“W-what if she gets pregnant?” You ask, your main worry coming to light.

Ayn is about to answer when she stops, putting a finger to her chin. She's probably never been asked that before.

“Well, I'm sure you're both incompatible. We're not even remotely related on a species level, so I don't-”

“What about Nytro? Are canines and felines closely related?” You ask.

“He was an extremely rare case-”

“I don't want to have a half human half dog child! Can you imagine the bullying they would suffer?” You ask. “Not to mention I'm not even remotely ready to have kids! Zofie is barely legal anyways!”

“She's twenty, sweetie. She's way past being legal at this point.” Ayn replies. “As for you not being ready, I don't know what to say. We don't really keep condoms stocked, sorry.”

“God dammit Jack, just fuck me already!” Zofie yells, pulling you towards her.

At least, she attempts to pull you. She only manages to pull herself closer as she moans into your shoulder.

“Sweetie, I understand what you're feeling. Sex isn't like a marriage proposal. You don't have to put a ring on it if you decide you want to mate with a girl. Trust me, there's no strings attached.” Ayn tells you.

“Can't Nytro-”

“NEIN!” Zofie screams. “He's too rough on mein flower!”

Ayn chuckles at that and Zofie keeps going at it, beginning to whuff and whine.

“She's not gonna be able to finish like this.” Ayn says, putting a hand on your shoulder. “At least help her finish.”

You sigh, getting up off the couch and strip out of your shirt, throwing it to the floor.

“That's the spirit sweetie!” Ayn tells you excitedly. “I'll get out of your hair now.”

Ayn exits Zofies room and you turn back to her, seeing she's already taken her pants off.

“M-mein gott, I'm s-so w-wet.” She says, pulling her panties down.

They hit the floor with a wet slap and you you cringe at that. Zofie spreads herself open for you before going back to fingering her little button. You've never seen her like this before, at least not in real life. She still had a cute little shirt on with arms that were way too big for her, but everything else was gone.

“P-please stop staring and take off your pants! I know you want me!” She yells, pointing to your groin.

You look down and see you have a sizable erection standing tall in your trousers. You drop trou and under wear, taking off your boots as well.

“Sorry if I blow quick, but you said you wanted this.” You tell her. “I'll be gentle.”

“I-ah-am about to-mm-burst myself.” She says, continuing to play with herself. “J-just shove it in, I can t-take it.”

You move yourself over to Zofie, who spreads her legs further apart for you. When your tip meets Zofie snatch, you push yourself in slowly, earning a gasp from her.

“T-this is s-so weird!” She yells.

When you feel yourself hilt inside her, she squeals, pulling herself up onto your chest. She stays there for a bit, moaning and gasping, catching her breath as you hold her surprisingly firm ass. You give it a bit of a squeeze and she moans in delight, beginning to lick your neck as she pants into your shoulder. She lets go of you and lays back on the couch, smiling with a dopey grin on her face.

“K-keep going, I'm so c-close!” She yells.

You feel yourself getting close too. You remember being able to last longer when you first jacked off to porn than you're lasting here. As soon as you pull out, Zofie pulls herself back onto you and slams herself home, gripping tight as her folds clamp down on you. This makes you unceremoniously blow a load of your own, almost bringing you to your knees as you cum inside someone for the first time. Zofie just squeals and moans as each load is forced inside her by your cock muscles. With one last spurt, you feel Zofie squeeze again, digging her claws into your back. You grunt in pain as you grasp her butt firmly, waiting for her to finish her own orgasm. When she does, you set her down and begin pulling out. What a chump you were.

“I-it feels so good.” She says, biting her bottom lip. “W-we need to do this more often.”

“Sorry I blew so early. I was planning to go longer, but you felt so...good.” You tell her, pulling out.

“H-hey, It's fine. I wouldn't have lasted another round.” She tells you. “I liked it, if that's what you're worried about.”

“Well, uh, I'm gonna take a shower.” You say, looking down at your soiled and semi-hard cock. “If you want to join me, I'll wash your back for you.”

“S-sounds good to me.” Zofie replies awkwardly. “L-lead the way.”

Vikna

You sit back on the couch, rubbing your forehead gingerly.

“ARA, I don't know what to say.” You tell her. “I don't think he'd be up for it considering how much he dislikes kids.”

“Miss Vikna, you don't understand! The school wants him to appear and talk about what he did!” ARA tells you, getting flustered. “I can't just tell them no! They have higher clearance!”

“The school director asked you to retrieve him?” You ask.

“Yes! He said it was non-negotiable!” ARA continues yelling.

“Turn the volume down please.” You say, grabbing your head. “Besides, he's had a rough day.”

“It's tomorrow, not today.” She tells you. “So he'll have enough time to rest and relax before getting up to teach.”

“Teach?!” You ask. “He's not going to want to do that!”

“Miss Vikna, I think you underestimate his capacity for kindness.” She replies. “He's not as self centered as you may think.”

“I don't think he's self centered, I think he won't like sitting in a room full of kids for hours on end.” You say, rubbing your muzzle as you do. “He told me he doesn't have the patience for kids.”

“Well I need to at least try. Otherwise my programming is going to keep pestering me about it, like a notification I can't turn off.” ARA says, turning towards the door.

“Fine, I'll come with you.” You say, getting off the couch.

You both exit the hall, walking down the hallway to his room. When the door opens, you see Ayn sitting on his couch, watching something on the holo-screen.

“What's up?” She asks.

“Where's Jack?” You ask in return.

“Plowing Zofie, why?” She asks.

You feel your blood begin to boil. He chose her first? After all this he chose HER?! After you fucking offered yourself up on a silver god damn platter almost a month ago, he chose that fucking virgin?!

“He WHAT?!” You ask, enraged.

“Zofie wanted him to fuck her, so he did.” Ayn replies. “He didn't force it on her. In fact, she and I kind of forced it on him.”

“God dammit Ayn!” You shout. “When?!”

“About an hour ago. I doubt he's still going, if that's what you're asking.” She replies. “Doesn't have the stamina for it.”

“Goodbye miss princess Ayn, I have business to attend to with mister Jackson.” ARA tells her. “Have a good night!”

You groan and follow ARA again, making sure she stays out of trouble. When she reaches Zofies room, she opens the door and walks inside.

“Hello mister Jackson, I have a question to ask.” She says, presumably speaking to him.

“Yeah, what's that?” He asks.

You turn the corner and see Zofie sleeping on his lap as he strokes her hair. You grit your teeth in, wait, you're not actually jealous of her, are you? That's so pathetic! Get a hold of yourself Vikna! You're way better than she is.

“The class that was trapped in here when the terrorists attacked are asking for you to talk about bravery and leadership. Do you think you could do that for me?” She asks.

“Uh, sure. From what I heard from Fluff, kids are quite a bit more docile here than they are on Earth.” He tells her. “Yeah, I'll come. I have my tablet ready with pictures and videos I have of my time over seas.”

You cringe at that. He saved videos of him getting shot at and war in general? He can't show that to kids.

“Vikna, are you okay?” He asks. “What's wrong?”

You look down at the floor, clearing your expression before giving him a nervous smile.

“Please tell me you're not going to show these kids pictures and videos of killing.” You tell him. “That wouldn't fly.”

“What? No!” He tells you, annoyed. “Why would I show that shit to kids? I'm talking about historical photos and videos of me pulling pranks on my friends, stuff like that. I'm not a psychopath.”

“Ye-yeah, I know that. I'm just not sure what you think is appropriate to show kids.” You reply.

He sighs, shaking Zofie before she wakes up. She whines a bit, but Jack scratches behind her ears and smiles down at her. When he gets up, he walks over to you.

“Are you upset with me?” He asks.

“W-what?!” You ask.

“I'll take your surprise and stuttering as a yes. What did I do wrong? Did I hurt you somehow? What'd I do?” He asks in return. “You need to tell me what I did wrong or I won't be able to fix it.”

You feel your face become more and more heated as he asks more questions.

“Was it something I said? Did I hug you too hard yesterday? Were you worried about me?” He asks. “Are you mad because I spent no time with you today?”

“No!” You yell, pushing him away. “N-no. That's not it.”

He looks down at you in shock, just backing away.

“Vikna, I-”

“Stop it.” You tell him. “Stop pretending to not know.”

“I'm serious, I don't know what you're talking about.” He tells you, continuing to lead you on.

“I SAID STOP IT!” You scream, enraged he'd do this to you.

“Vikna, I may know everything about your character, but I can't read your god damn mind. I'm not a psychic and I suck with this 'taking social cues' shit, even more so than a regular guy. You need to tell me what the fuck I'm doing wrong or I can't fix it!” He yells, beginning to get frustrated. “I'm not magical like all of you!”

“You fucked Zofie and didn't even tell me about it!” You shout, caving in. “There, got what you wanted?! Now I sound like the bad guy for bringing it up!”

He just stands there, shocked for a bit. You then realize the mistake you made, wrapping your tail around you and grabbing a hold of it. He really didn't know. Jack sighs deeply and shakily, grabbing at the bridge of his nose.

“Look Vikna, I'm not here to have sex with all of you, okay? I don't even want to get involved with any of you romantically. It's not that I don't like any of you, because I really do. It's just that, well, you're not mine to fall for. I didn't make any of you, I just wrote about you all. I have no right to love any of you.” He tells you. “Don't give me any of that 'sex doesn't mean love' shit either. I don't give a damn what Ayn says about the matter, but I'm sure as hell not going to go around fucking people because they want me.”

“Why did you do it with me?” Zofie asks.

“Because I caused you to become...bothered.” He replies. “I also didn't see another option readily available.”

“Ayn said you really wanted to though.” She tells him.

“Because I did.” He says. “I still do. However, I'm not comfortable with going around the space elevator fucking whoever asks. I don't act on impulse because I'm a conscious being. Just like you didn't jump me because you're a conscious being too. You have the ability to restrain yourself.”

“Why would you though?” You ask. “There's literally no consequences in this day and age.”

“I don't want to talk about this anymore.” He says, walking over to his bag and armor.

“Are you able to come?” ARA asks.

“I'll see.” He says with a smile, as if nothing happened. “I'll try to be there.”

He walks past you and ARA, carrying his bag over 1 shoulder as he exits the room, as well as lugging his armor in another hand. You look back at Zofie, who now looks incredibly sad. ARA is next to walk out, leaving you to fix the situation Jack started.

Jack

You walk down the hallway to your room, turning left and waiting for the door to open. When it does, you see a red haired jackal sitting on your couch, eating chips.

“How'd it go?” She asks, grinning as she munches on some chips.

“I think I created a situation.” You tell her. “I made Vikna mad because I didn't tell her I was going to have sex with Zofie. Is that a normal thing to do here? I don't know everything there is to know about this world, even though I like to pretend I do.”

“What? No.” Ayn tells you. “Did she yell at you?”

“Yeah...” You say, setting your bag and Kevlar by the door. “This isn't going to keep the door open, is it?”

“No, it's activated by organics. Also, that's uncalled for. She doesn't need to yell at you like that.” Ayn says.

“Well, that's the thing. I kind of went against my moral code when I agreed to do it with Zofie. I told myself I wasn't going to bone any of you after you, well, you know.” You tell her. “It doesn't feel right and I hate myself for it now.”

“Hey, don't beat yourself up over it.” She says. “I'm sure she's just acting that way because she wanted you first.”

“Jesus Christ this is surreal.” You say, leaning back against the wall. “On Earth, nobody wanted me because I'm an awkward tard with no social skills. Here, I already have 2 girls going crazy over me and I haven't even done anything to deserve it.”

“You saved Zofie from being rape bait and Vikna from herself. You have no idea how often she beats herself up over stupid things. She'll spill some milk and go into an existential crisis about it. That, or she'll blow a fuse and scream about how it's our fault for half an hour.” Ayn explains. “Zofie really just wants a boyfriend. Nytro's, uh, well, nice wouldn't really describe it, but he's there. You, by comparison, are probably the nicest guy she's met in a while.”

“This is just turning into a power fantasy. Power fantasies are bad and Gary Stu's go hand in hand with them, which are bad by proxy. I hate the idea of writing them and hate the idea of being one even more.” You tell her. “I'm living a fantasy I've had for a while, but I just can't enjoy it for some reason. Maybe it's because I don't enjoy living out something I've wanted for so long, or maybe it's because I know it won't last forever. God I want this to last forever.”

“You don't have to go back you know?” She asks. “You could stay here.”

“Deprive my father of his only son? Leave the only place I've ever known since I was born to be bulldozed or bought by some bozo who could, more than likely, blow up all the mines I've set up around the property?” You ask. “No thanks, I'm not doing that. Once this war is over, I'm going back and going to try to forget ever coming here.”

“Why would you forget coming here? Do you not like us?” She asks, looking a bit hurt.

“No, I do. It's just that knowing I could've had it better would drive me to eat buckshot if I ever dwell on it, which I will.” You reply. “I just hope I can find purpose in life before the clock strikes twelve.”

“Well, try not to think about that.” She tells you. “Also, what's up with the wit? You're usually a bit more reserved.”

“I watched a show that made me feel smart. So I'll be smart for the rest of the day unless I forget it.” You tell her. “Is there anywhere here that I could go that's like a porch? Somewhere I could watch the city and the sky?”

“Romantic.” She says with a smirk.

“There is a pressurized dome at the top of the windbreak if you wish to go there.” ARA says, surprising you.

“Jesus!” You yell, nearly falling over when she first starts speaking. “You scared me.”

“I apologize for that. I didn't mean to.” She tells you. “I hope my apology is sufficient to restore our friendship to its previous status.”

“Well, helping me find this dome would help too.” You tell her. “Unless you're busy, of course.”

“Negative. My sub-routines can handle the nightly workload.” She tells you. “I would love to show you to the dome.”

20 minutes later

After a long elevator ride, you arrive at the top floor, the doors sliding out of your way to reveal a dome made completely out of glass, or what you guess was glass. It could be some convoluted bullshit that resembles glass but is a bazillion times stronger or some shit.

“So, this is the top of the wind break?” You ask. “Just how far up are we?”

“About four hundred thousand meters up.” ARA replies. “As a, uh, friend of mine once said, a fall from this height would really hurt.”

You chuckle at that and walk out of the elevator before stopping.

“Wait, you said we're 400 kilometers up, right?” You ask.

“Yeah, what about it?” She asks in return.

“Is there any atmosphere up here?” You ask.

“Nope, we're in a vacuum.” She replies.

“So, we're in space right now?” You ask.

“Technically speaking, we are. Why?” She asks.

You feel your legs turn to jello and take a knee, looking up for a moment. The sky, it's full of stars...

“Jack! Are you okay?” ARA asks. “Your heart rate is elevated and your muscles have grown weak.”

“I-I've never been to space before.” You tell her. “I never thought I'd go to space. Not in my lifetime. God, it's so beautiful.”

You reach your hand out in front of you, reaching for the stars as you rise from your knees.

“So close I can almost reach out and touch it.” You say.

“That particular star is about fifteen hundred light years away. Unless humans can stretch to incredibly long lengths, defying every known law of physics, I don't think you'll be able to reach it.” She says, snapping you back to reality.

“Yeah, sorry.” You say, walking over to a flimsy looking seat. “Mind staying for a while?”

“I have nothing better to do and everyone I usually talk to is busy. Sure, why not?” She asks in reply.

“Gee, thanks for making me feel special.” You tell her jokingly.

You both sit there for a while, saying nothing as the hum of an atmosphere control system buzzed in the background. It was beautiful up here. There was nothing obstructing your view of the stars, which made you happy. You wish you had a telescope and knew how to use one. It'd be so nice to stargaze in this dome.

“You know, my first story was about you, Ayn, and Vikna, right?” You ask. “Well, my third story, but my first story about you was a greentext about all three of you.”

“Really?” She asks curiously.

“Yeah, it was pretty bad and people hated it.” You reply. “People still hate me for it.”

“It was that bad?” She asks.

“Yeah, I barely knew anything about the inner workings of you all back then. Vikna was the only one I really understood because I rewrote her character for Fluff. I'm ashamed of it, but I wrote Ayn as a slut and you as, well, um, you're not going to kill me if I tell you, right?” You ask in return.

“No, why would I?” She asks.

“You're an anthroid with enough electricity flowing through you to blow up a block with one burst.” You tell her. “You also have a bit of a temper.”

“Y-yeah, it is one of my core emotions.” She tells you. “Anger, that is.”

“Promise me you won't hurt me or kill me, okay?” You ask.

“I promise.” She tells you.

“Well, I kind of made you a hot mess.” You tell her. “You were less you and more, uh, a character I invented. Kind of a tease and crazy. You were more of an organic than an anthroid and were capable of feeling love. Also, you three were in a harem together. It was a train wreck of a story and I never had the balls to finish it.”

“Yikes.” She says.

“I can't believe you just said 'yikes', but you're right. It was definitely a yikes.” You tell her. “After that I, well, kind of fell in love with your character. I really enjoyed writing you and it was great practice.”

“You didn't write me into any obscene situations, did you?” She asks.

“At first I did, but Fluff set me on the right path, telling me you didn't really enjoy or entertain the thought of that stuff. Sorry about that by the way.” You say, looking down at the floor.

“I forgive you.” She says. “Anything else?”

“Yeah, the first story I ever finished was about you and an engineer. Had to somehow fit humans in there somewhere, so I made a fictional planet called Terra. It was basically 23rd century Earth versus half the galaxy. I'll give you three guesses as to how that turned out.” You tell her.

“I'm guessing Terra got its butt kicked.” She replies.

“That and then some. Literal genocide of most of humanity. The entire planet got split into chunks that were thrown around the solar system. The story took place about 15 years after the war.” You tell her. “God I feel like such a goon telling you about this.”

“No, keep going. You have my interest.” She says.

“Well, the main character was a guy named Anon. He was a Terran anthroid technician and engineer back during the war and he had fatefully met you aboard the capitol ship he was stationed on. Since he wasn't very bright, he downgraded to anthroid engineer, fixing damage to your frame instead of software damage.” You tell her, reveling in the nostalgia of a story you wrote 4 years ago.

You remember everything about it so vividly. It was your baby for the longest time and you were hellbent on finishing it no matter what.

“Sounds interesting.” She replies.

“I don't know about that, but if you'd like to read more I could bring it up next time you come to visit. It's not really that good, but I did my best.” You tell her. “Well, my best for the time.”

“What do you mean 'for the time'?” She asks.

“I've considerably improved. I've written and published a novel based on your universe. It won an award...I think.” You tell her. “I haven't really written much since. Only recently got back into it.”

“Was it about me?” ARA asks.

“Nah, it was about Vikna.” You reply.

“D-do you still love my character?” She asks.

You look over at her and see her blushing profusely, unable to look at you.

“Oh god...” You say, looking away from her. “Not you too...”

“Wha-”

“FLUFF! WHY?!” You shout up into the sky. “WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME?! YOU KNOW I CAN'T DO THIS!”

“W-what is it?” ARA asks, confused.

“Why are you serving her to me on a silver god damn platter when you know I can't have her!” You shout. “What kind of sick joke is this?! What are you implying?! That I'm not good enough to EARN her?!”

You get up and take out an empty magazine, throwing it at the ceiling as hard as you can. The magazine bounces off the glass roof and comes back down, spinning in mid air as it does. It bounces off the floor and clatters to the ground. ARA gets up and steps back, frightened by you.

“FUCK YOU FLUFF! YOU SICK BASTARD! YOU TWISTED FUCK!” You scream, pointing at the sky before collapsing to the ground in a fetal position. “F-fuck you...”

You begin to sob into your knees as you wallow in your own failure. You're not even good enough to get a real girl, so Fluff gives you pity girls instead. You're fucking pathetic. Not even worthy of being in the same galaxy as these girls. You're a broken fucking loser and all of the girls here think you're a gift from god. If this was supposed to be funny, you weren't laughing at all.

You feel a hand on your shoulder and pull away, not willing to accept any more charity from this universe's benevolent god. If you weren't good enough in real life, you definitely weren't good enough here. Everyone must be literally perfect, outside of anything you managed to touch with your grubby little hands. Maybe you should just end it all. A dramatic ending that everyone saw coming. This little storybook moment in your life could end on a high note of you saving civilians from an otherwise doomed space port. You got to go to space, even if it wasn't on a rocket like you'd like to have done. You feel your thoughts fall apart as its replaced by comforting music, making you smile. Maybe it would all end if you just...

“ARA, do you know what it's like to feel pain?” You ask.

“Nega-no. I don't know what it's like.” She replies.

“It's a terrible thing that most people spend their entire lives running away from. Figuratively and literally. Yet no matter how fast I run, I keep getting swallowed up in the pain. It never leaves me alone, invading my dreams and nightmares. I can't ever enjoy anything because of the pain, both physical and mental.” You explain. “I sound so edgy, god dammit why am I such a fucking piece of shit? The only thing I'm good at is shooting people and being sad.”

“Well, I think your concepts for stories are creative.” ARA tells you. “Especially the ones including me.”

You smile at that. She made a joke.

“Do you think it would hurt if I shot myself?” You ask. “In the mouth that is. Up into the brain stem.”

“I don't imagine it would, as the nerves concerning that area would be severed by the bullet.” She replies. “However, studies haven't been performed on this due to concerns over morality. Why do you ask?”

“That's nice.” You say. “Nice to know.”

You're about to reach into your pocket, but ARA clears her throat.

“S-so, do you have an answer for me?” ARA asks.

“Can I ask why you'd like to know?” You ask, looking up at her.

“Well, it's complicated.” She says. “I've been working here for a while now and people have stopped, uh, 'making passes' at me for six months. I was given software-”

“To properly feel love, right? Is that how this is gonna go?” You ask, interrupting. “Everything conveniently lines up to give good old Jack a choice between 3 cute girls. I've written these scenarios enough to know how this shit goes.”

“W-well, it's more of an extended friendship, but yes, you could call it affection.” She says, completely oblivious to your reasoning.

“I don't know what to say anymore.” You tell her. “I'm fucked either way. I look like a guy who's too good for you if I say no, but I look like I'm starting a harem if I say yes. What if I said I just want to be friends for now.”

“I'm okay with that.” She tells you.

“Same here.” A voice adds behind you.

You turn around and sigh, turning back to face the way you were facing.

“You've got some balls coming here after doing what you just did.” You tell him. “Let me guess, this was a test, right?”

“You knew?” He asks. “How?”

“No need to be dramatic. ARA doesn't say the things she has been saying to me. I also worked with her character for a while now and magical upgrades for no reason are my thing. Also, she's not a lovesick kind of person, never was, never will be. God forbid you let anyone have fun with her except yourself.” You reply, getting more annoyed the more you speak. “It's like something out of a script I wrote and I was giving you some HEAVY hints I didn't buy it. I even said your name aloud and told you to fuck off, but you kept pressing the issue.”

“Well I pressed the issue because you were fucking suicidal dude.” He tells you.

“I still am.” You reply. “Fuck off and let me die in peace. I did my part, you can fix this clusterfuck while I look up at you from hell.”

You pull your pistol from your pocket and cock the hammer back, sticking the gun in your mouth. You squeeze the trigger slowly, closing your eyes as you feel the trigger begin to give.

“WAIT!” He shouts. “I don't know how!”

You stop, letting your fingers off the trigger and opening your eyes.

“What?” You ask, taking the gun out of your mouth and wiping it off.

“I don't know how to stop it. I've tried everything I know. I just can't think of anything else!” He yells desperately. “I need you right now...”

“An officer is what you need. I'm only an NCO. A bad one at that.” You tell him. “I lead squads, not armies.”

“I know that, but I can't open any more portals back on earth. Even if I could, who would believe-”

“Why the fuck are you a bird anyways?” You ask.

“...what?” He asks. “In general or right now?”

“Yes.” You reply.

“I hate it when you do that so much.” He tells you. “I'm a bird because I like avians and I have a psychic link to this world via my fursona.”

“That sounds dumb.” You tell him, getting off the floor and pocketing your pistol. “We'll talk about this tomorrow. I'm-”

“No, I want you to come with me.” ARA says.

“What?” The two of you ask.

“I want Jackson to follow me to the orbital platform. I have something to show him.” She says. “If you're so desperate to die, I'll give you a reason to live.”

You turn to Fluff, or Rei and he shakes his head.

“Not me doing it this time.” He says, shrugging.

“Uh, sure.” You tell her. “I got a bit more time before it's time to go to sleep. How long is the elevator ride?”

“About 30 minutes at normal speed.” She replies. “It's a very fast elevator.”

“Yeah, I'll take an elevator ride.” You tell her.

“Jeez, you're already over being suicidal?” Fluff asks.

“I'm keeping a promise.” You tell him. “You and ARA need me tomorrow. I realize I was being selfish and I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you both, I promise. Now, we're going further up, care to join us?”

“I have stuff to do. You know how it is.” He says.

“Alright, ARA, lead the way.” You say.

1 hour later

You're standing at a window, staring out at the stars as ARA stands beside you. The white noise of a ventilation system mixed with the synthetic clicking of holographic keys being pressed fills your ears. Idle chatter and footsteps are heard as you smile, taking in the surroundings of space.

“I'd never get tired of this view.” You tell her. “I don't care how many times I see it, I'll always be mesmerized by it.” You tell her. “How much do you think a room up here costs?”

You look down at her and see her raising a hand to the top of your head, completely ignoring your question.

“Hmm, about six foot two inches, average BMI, no snout accommodations necessary. Yep, I think I have the perfect one for you.” She says, smiling.

You're about to ask what she means when you hear a loud rumbling as the platform begins to shake.

“What's that?” You ask.

“A cargo ship docking.” She replies. “Follow me.”

You follow ARA as you both walk down the white halls, making your way towards a doorway. The door looked like a heavy duty cargo door from a video game, leading you to believe she was taking you to a cargo hangar.

“Open airlock 11B, authorization IHKTAG ARA 0-1-1.” ARA tells the control panel, pressing a green button as she steps back.

A heavy clunk sounds from the doors as the latches are unlocked, allowing the heavy motors on the door to move it downwards. The electric motors whine as ARA seems to bounce with excitement, smiling gleefully as you take a step away. When the doors fully open, she immediately walks over to a console, typing at mach speed as she enters characters into a text box.

“Hmm, that's going to be embarrassing. Well, a suit's a suit.” She says, shrugging.

When she finishes, a tube by the console lowers, a low buzzing emitting from said tube before it opens up. Steam billows from inside and when it clears, a space suit is visible. It looked exactly the right height and shape for you, with a helmet that looks like it belongs on an ISS space suit.

“ARA...who's this for?” You ask.

“You!” She says with a smile. “We're going for a space walk!”

“A...space walk?” You ask, not believing what you just heard.

“Yeah, that's what I just said.” She replies. “Come on, let's get you suited up!”

You walk over to the suit before the mid section splits in two, being lifted by a mechanical arm as you walk towards it.

“Take off your boots please.” She tells you.

You hurriedly untie your boots, fearing that if you didn't hurry, the opportunity might slip away. When your boots are off, you walk up to the space suit pants, looking at them for a minute.

“Just step inside the leggings and hold your arms up. It's not that hard.” She tells you. “Is this your first time wearing a space suit?”

“Yes.” You tell her, worried she might be experiencing a fault.

You climb inside of the leggings, settling your feet inside of the space suit before raising your arms above your head. What a sight this must be. A MARPAT wearing Marine stepping into a space suit as if he belonged. When the suit is over your head, you feel the machine push your arms through the wrists of the space suit. Once the suit is settled, the 2 sections click into place.

“Alright, you can step out of the suit materialization machine now.” She tells you, waving you out.

“This thing looks like space suits back home.” You tell her, looking at the pearly white cloth as you take a step out.

You feel nothing below you and fall to the ground, hitting hard as the full weight of the suit weighs you down.

“Fuck.” You say, getting back up. “Is the suit okay?”

ARA looks it up and down as her pupils dilate a bit.

“I see no tears or micro cracks in the suit. You are still ready to go.” She tells you with a thumbs up. “As for why the suit looks so old, I didn't have the clearance for a modern one. I usually don't use space suits unless radiation is REALLY high.”

“How old is it?” You ask.

“About 200 years old.” She tells you. “Don't be alarmed, it's of superb quality and still has another 300 years left on the warranty. I would expect nothing less of IH Kaltag's fine products.”

“Nice sales pitch.” You say, dusting yourself off. “Could've sold me moldy bread with charisma like that.”

“Really?” She asks.

“No.” You reply simply. “Maybe I'm just paranoid, but using something that's 200 years old doesn't generally make me feel comfortable unless it's a brick house or a gun.”

“You must not make products that are of any quality.” She says with a smirk. “Trust me. I would never lie to you.”

“Sure.” You tell her, looking back towards the pod.

You pick up the pair of gloves and pull them from the mount, trying to figure out how they would mount to the suit.

“Here, let me put them on for you.” She says, walking over to you.

You watch as ARA takes the gloves from you, sliding them over your hands and pushing hard until she clicks the cuffs into place. When they're locked, she walks over and grabs the helmet from inside, bringing it over to you. She stretches herself to reach your head, securing the helmet with a click as she presses a few buttons. You see a HUD element pop up, showing your oxygen level and rebreather status as well. It also monitored your health and radiation levels, showing that the radiation level was very high.

“Radiation levels are pretty high, you sure it's safe for me to be up here?” You ask.

“It's Tau radiation, don't mind it.” She tells you, her voice very quiet.

“You're a bit quiet. Try speaking up a little or transmit at a higher volume.” You tell her

“Can you hear me okay now?” She asks, the volume having increased to an acceptable level.

“Yeah, I hear you.” You tell her. “Grab some tethers, I don't want a repeat of that comic Fluff drew. I doubt IPRBs are cheap.”

“They aren't.” She replies, her ears folding. “I know from experience.”

You smile and she grabs a couple of lines from the wall, attaching one to your front and another to a harness. She puts the harness over herself and you give her a thumbs up, grabbing the visor from the helmets top. You slide it down and turn towards the door, ready for your first space walk.

“Alright, equalizing pressure.” ARA tells you.

You feel the pressure drop as your suit feels like it's inflating. It's like a flight suit but in reverse. You turn back to ARA, who has her mouth open for some reason.

“Close your mouth or a fly might get in.” You tell her.

“I'm letting my body pressure equalize or my synth flesh will become bloated.” She tells you. “I look overweight when I don't allow the air to vent out.”

You dare not imagine that sight, as you can already feel the pitchforks and torches from here. When the suit is done inflating, the doors behind you open silently. You feel a clunk when they extend to their fully open position, allowing you to look outside.

“Here, take this.” She tells you.

You turn back and see her holding out a red canister with a hose.

“A fire extinguisher?” You ask.

“A portable maneuvering unit.” She corrects. “Standard issue since I...had an incident.”

“How many times have you forgot your tether?” You ask with a chuckle.

“27.” She tells you.

“How many times have you been on EVA?” You ask.

“27.” She says, looking down at the ground.

“Well, 28th time's the charm, right?” You ask, looking at her harness. “You sure that tether is strong enough to hold you back?”

“I'm pretty sure.” She says, tugging the cord and creating slack.

“Alright. I'm not gonna fall, right?” You ask. “We're at geosynchronous orbit?”

“Yes, you'll be fine.” She replies. “We're slightly above geosynchronous orbit.”

You smile and take steps towards the edge, looking down at the planet below. The space elevator can be seen extending beyond what your eye can see, seeming to disappear in the intense light down below.

“This is so cool.” You tell her.

“Watch out!” She tells you, feeling a push behind you.

You fall out of the airlock and begin flailing around, feeling as if you're falling. You desperately try to balance yourself, but you can't figure out which way is up and which way is down. This is probably why astronauts train so hard. You stop flailing around, seeing it getting you nowhere and just hold your arms out in a T. It slows the rolling a bit as you remember something about centrifugal forces.

“ARA!” You yell. “What the hell?!”

You feel your movements dampen as jets of gas activate. When your spin stops, you use the gas canister in your hand to swivel around. When you turn around, you see ARA standing at the doorway, laughing at you.

“Real funny.” You tell her, seeing her jump towards you.

“Don't worry about it, miss Vikna did it to me on our first tandem spacewalk together.” She tells you. “She told me it was funny.”

ARA reaches you and you grab her, arresting her momentum slightly.

“Well, it wasn't funny to me.” You tell her, letting go.

You use the thruster to turn you around, looking out into the blackness of space. When you realize you don't need the visor, you flip it up and look into the night sky.

“So this is a binary star system?” You ask.

“Yes, although the effect of two stars versus one is negligible compared to your single star. They are both small in comparison to yours.” She tells you. “They're both very close together, so our shadows are effectively one. This is opposed to having a second shadow due to different angles of starlight. It's almost unnoticeable.”

“Interesting.” You tell her. “So the orbits of the stars are stable, right?”

“No, they're set to collide into one massive star or black hole in the next 200 million years. Luckily none of us will be around to see that happen.” She says pulling up beside you. “I have to agree with you though.”

“Agree with me on what?” You ask.

“This is pretty 'cool'.” She says with air quotes. “I would rather describe it as pleasant, but your colloquial term also fits.”

“Yeah, I guess it does.” You tell her. “Feels like I'm falling constantly, but I'm staying in place. Uh, relative to the station, that is.”

“I was just about to correct you.” She says with a smirk. “Your understanding of basic orbital mechanics is remarkable considering how primitive your world looks compared to ours. However, I will have to correct you anyways, as we're moving away from the station at-”

“A negligible pace.” You tell her. “It's not even showing up on my HUD that we're moving anywhere. We have maybe an hour before we notice we're any further away.”

She crosses her arms indignantly and you ruffle her hair gently, pulling it back in place as your arms come back to their resting place. She smiles at you and turns herself to face you.

“Are you enjoying yourself?” She asks.

“Very much.” You tell her, smiling back. “I'm loving every second of this.”

“Is it safe to say you are no longer suicidal?” She asks.

“I think that's pretty safe to say.” You reply with an embarrassed smile.

“I'm glad. Are you going to be able to attend the class tomorrow?” ARA asks.

“Well, I think I'm gonna need to get inside and sleep first. What time is it?” You ask.

“About 13:22 PM.” She tells you. “We can do this after the class tomorrow if you wish.”

“Yeah, I think that would be for the best.” You tell her. “How do I bring myself back without tugging out all of the cordage?”

“Give it a swift tug and the spool will pull you back.” She tells you. “Watch me.”

She gives her cord a swift tug and it does nothing. You then see the line go slack and her eyes widen.

“U-uh, um, I think I suffered another fault.” She says, pulling the torn cordage towards her. “I grabbed the 170 pound line and not the 650 pound line.”

“What's mine rated at?” You ask.

“Y-yours is the 650 pound line.” She says, blushing. “The two are right next to each other.”

“Disconnect the line before the momentum of the swinging line pulls you further away.” You tell her.

She nods, disconnecting the line just as it goes taught, ripping out of her grasp as it flings off into space.

“Have you ever heard of Kessler syndrome?” You ask with a smirk.

“No, what's that?” She asks.

“Nothing.” You say, using a puff of the maneuvering jet to make your way to ARA. “Just a joke.”

She chuckles at that before you grab her, tugging on your own line as you hold her close.

“My hero.” She says with a snicker.

You make it back into the airlock and both fall down as gravity kicks in, ARA giggling like mad. You smile, helping her off the floor as the rear airlock closes.


	5. Chapter 4: In shining Kevlar

You straighten your helmet again, making sure you had everything in order before grabbing the pack with your things in it.

“What age bracket am I going to be in front of?” You ask.

“Mixed.” ARA replies. “High school students mainly, but there are some college students as well.”

“Son of a bitch.” You say, sighing heavily. “I hate teens so much. Obnoxious little balls of angst and hormones.”

“Bad experiences in school?” She asks.

“You wouldn't believe half the shit they did.” You reply.

“Well, I can guarantee they're nicer here. Everyone should have already gone through puberty.” She says.

This comforts you slightly, as you sling the backpack on your back. You grab your tablet from the bug out bag and check the battery, seeing it had enough. Maybe there's a blue tooth compatible screen that ARA can jury rig.

“Alright, I'm ready.” You tell her.

She nods and both of you are off.

1 hour later

You stand before a large, rotund wolf, waiting for a response to your question.

“They should behave. If they don't, do as you see fit. Just don't hurt them.” He says.

“Well, why do you want me here?” You ask. “What did I do?”

“Well, you rescued half the class from certain death at the spaceport. They're curious to see who ordered their rescue.” He says, pulling out a phone. “The other half saw this picture. It went viral yesterday.”

You look at the phone and take it from his grasp, reading the tagline.

'Alien soldier raises flag after rescuing hostages from spaceport.'

“You've become quite the talking point and our students were first in line to ask questions.” He tells you.

“First in line?” You ask.

“Well, an alien soldier shows up one day and waves around a flag, there's bound to be questions raised.” He says. “It's up to you if you take the interviews, but ARA told us you promised to answer questions from the students.”

“Alright, take me to them.” You tell him.

He leads you over to a room about 30 feet from the meeting point, taking you inside. When you enter, you see it's a classroom decorated with holographic signs indicating different scientific theories and equations. You really need to get that translator eye piece ARA told you about.

“-so, that is why we can't just 'blast through the blockade' as you suggest. We do not have the firepower to take on this many ships.” ARA says, pointing to a boy in the front. “Any other questions?”

“When's that alien coming?” One asks.

“I'm here.” You tell him. “Give me a second. I'll answer your questions shortly.”

ARA looks over to you and she smiles sweetly, watching you move your way to the front of the class. When you make it to the front, you see a holographic display of the planet, a massive cloud of ships spanning across the equator with lines ejecting from The Tower. You chuckle and grab the floating seat, offering it to ARA. She takes it and sits down, folding her tail on her lap when she sits.

“My name is Staff Sergeant Jackson H. Haigs. I'm an E-6 in the United States Marine Corps, which is the military branch I am from. I'm a human from the planet Earth, or Terra as some people like to call it. My country of origin is, of course, the United States. I'm here to answer your questions and talk about, uh, what I did?” You ask, turning to ARA.

“Yes, that is what I was told.” She replies.

“Alright, any questions?” You ask the class.

Half the class raises their hand. You pick one in the back and their ears flutter excitedly.

“U-uh, why did you come to save us?” A shy girl asks.

“Because you needed saving.” You tell her. “No more civilians are going to die on my watch. If that answered your questions, lower your hands.”

About 15 kids lower there hands, leaving only 5 people left. You pick the one furthest forward and they smile gently.

“Why are you here?” He asks.

“There was a portal and I heard gunfire on the other side. Went through to investigate and I found Kavkor Ramenskaya. We piloted a ship back to The Tower where she told me there were people who needed saving.” You tell them. “I scrambled together a fighting force and brought everyone to the space port for rescue.”

“You mean the hot chick?” A wolf in the back asks.

You feel your cheeks turn red and you look away.

“Uh, I'm in no place to comment on something like that.” You tell them awkwardly. “If you mean Kavkor Ramenskaya, then yes, I met her. Speaking of which, where is she?”

“I am unsure.” ARA replies. “She said she would be here.”

“U-uh, I h-have a question.” A girl in the back says.

Everyone gives her a strange look and she cowers back into her turtleneck, looking surprisingly normal compared to everyone's futuristic matte grey and white clothing.

“Yes?” You ask, pointing to the back.

“A-are you single?” She asks.

The entire room bursts out laughing and you turn around, feeling your face begin to burn as well as your entire body. She just asked if you were single? You shoot a glance at ARA and she's blushing a bit too. You wait for the laughter to die down as your face continues to pulsate for a while. You can't believe someone just asked you that. You turn back around, unsure if your cheeks are still red, seeing the girl has retreated back into her shirt.

“Uh, well, hmm.” You stutter, struggling to form words right now.

“Aelon's got the hots for an alien!” A random boy chimes in, rekindling the laughter.

“Is that your name miss?” You ask. “Aelon?”

She pops out of her shirt slightly and nods, the class continuing to snicker at her.

“That's enough!” You yell, stomping your boot on the ground. “You've had your fun at her expense. Stop it now before I make you all do a 10 mile run with 80 pounds of gear.”

“He'll do it too.” ARA chimes in. “I have seen mister Jackson exercise and he will make sure you do it.”

The class quiets down really quick after that, allowing you to compose yourself. You clear your throat and grab your tablet, setting it up on the floating desk before waving ARA over.

“Can you set that up and play the 2 videos I have marked?” You ask. “It's something I cobbled together last night.”

“Uh, sure. Let me just modify the signals, and, done!” She says, the video popping up on a holographic display behind you.

“Alright, I'll be back up here after the videos being shown here finish playing.” You tell them, the lights dimming as the video plays.

You walk to the side of the classroom as everyone becomes enthralled with the television show in black and white. When you move down the side, you find the poor girl sitting with her head in her shirt, sobbing quietly as everyone gives her nasty glares. You make your way towards her and tap her on the shoulder, startling her.

“Follow me.” You tell her, waving her along.

She wipes the tears from her eyes and gets up, following you out of the room. When you're both outside and the door is closed, you put a hand on her shoulder.

“What's wrong?” You ask.

“T-they're bullying me because I like humans.” She says, leaning back against the wall.

“Oh, are you one of the anthros that went through a portal?” You ask.

“Yeah, I met a nice guy named John. He was so sweet and didn't care that I was a huge nerd. I've had a huge crush on him and humans in general ever since I met him. All the guys have been calling me out for not wanting 'the knot' anymore. I've always hated the way it feels and-oh, I probably shouldn't be saying this. It's kind of private.” She says, blushing a bit.

“Hey, it's fine. I'm listening.” You tell her. “It takes a bit more than that to creep me out.”

“O-oh, well, anyways, they keep insisting I'm a 'race traitor' and a disgrace to all anthros.” She tells you. “Not that I was likable before.”

“Why didn't you stay with John?” You ask her.

“I had college. I needed to go back to my classes but now...the building is gone.” She says. “I nearly finished my degree too. I was planning to surprise John with my degree in robotics and materials sciences.”

“Well, I'll make sure you get to do that. I'll talk to your professor about it.” You tell her. “Besides, college is mostly fluff anyways.”

“You will?! Thank you!” She yells excitedly, pulling you into a hug. “Humans are the best!”

“You're welcome.” You tell her, rubbing her back gently. “I still have one thing I'd like to do for you though.”

“S-sure, what is it?” She asks.

“If anyone else talks nasty to you, tell me. I don't care about any of this snitches get stitches bullshit, because if you get a single bruise, lose a single strand of fur, I will beat them into a hospital bed. Do you understand?” You ask. “I'm here to protect you. You're an American citizen as far as I'm concerned.”

“I-I will.” She tells you.

“Good, now let's go watch some movies.” You tell her with a smile.

2 hours later

You make it to the media floor, waiting for the elevator to stop as ARA steps towards the door.

“Okay, I don't think they're going to have cameras waiting, but just be ready with a smile if they are.” ARA says, smiling gently as she stands by the door.

You smile as well, stepping towards the door with your rifle on a sling and your flag on the rebar pole. When the elevator opens, you see 3 men with cameras immediately assault you with flashes as automated camera drones swarm you as well.

“You said there wouldn't be any cameras.” You tell her, walking down the hall with your flag.

“You said you were going to wear something nice.” She replies. “So smile, would you? While we still have something to smile about.”

You do as she says, smiling and waving at the camera men as the drones whir around you. You pay them no mind, as anybody who isn't willing to show up in person isn't worth your time. When you reach the room you were told to meet at, you open the door and 3 cameras are pointed towards you.

“Here he is! The man who saved the entirety of the interplanetary spaceport, Staff Sergeant Haigs!” The host sitting behind a desk says, smiling with a cheesy TV show host smile. “He also appears to be accompanied by the beautiful Apex ARA unit stationed here in The Tower! I must say you're looking lovely today!”

ARA nods and smiles, giving him a cute smile that seems to melt his heart. When you look off to the right, you see a live audience applauding your arrival, which makes you smile awkwardly. You've never been the center of attention like this before. It's making you really nervous. When you make your way over to the 2 chairs sitting by the desk, the man welcomes you with an outstretched arm.

“Pleasure to meet you Staff Sergeant.” He tells you, giving you that same practiced smile he must give everyone. “I'm Helio Broclain. Please, take a seat.”

“Please, just call me Jack.” You tell him, taking his hand and shaking it.

Now that you get up close to him, you see he's a red fox, which was a misnomer because he's actually orange. You sit down beside him and set the flag down in a plate ARA had made for you. It keeps the flag up and off the ground, which you nearly dropped three times now. When you sit, Helio immediately begins talking.

“Well, now that you're all settled in, can we get to the issue that's been bothering half the continent for the past day now? What's the deal with that flag?” He asks, pointing to Old Glory.

“That's the flag of my country.” You tell him. “The United States of America. That's my country.”

“Wow, a planet that still has countries!” He says jokingly, chuckling as he does. “Imagine that! Well, what about the flag? What does it mean? The colors, I mean.”

“Oh, well, let me think.” You tell him, wracking your brain for a minute. “Uh, the red, if I'm remembering this correctly, stands for hardiness and valor. The white, stands for purity and innocence. As for the blue, it stands for vigilance, perseverance, and justice. The flag as a whole stands for freedom from oppression and tyranny, as well as hope to all those in need. There's a reason it's called the United States, because we're all United. Sometimes.”

He chuckles at that last bit.

“So you're saying it's not a sort of 'invasion stripes' deal where you're here to conquer the planet?” He asks.

“No, who told you that?” You ask. “I'm here to help and am proud of where I live. I figured that the people who were at the space port would see it as a symbol of hope, not tyranny.”

“Interesting! On to topics of the security of Katric. How do you intend to breach the blockade set in place by the Separationists?” He asks.

“I'm not at liberty to say.” You tell him. “However, I think that it's a much more complex issue than I would be able to explain, my knowledge of naval warfare being relatively sparse.”

“Another question if I may ask. Why have you brought along ARA?” He asks. “Isn't she supposed to be doing work right now?”

“Well, the reason I have her along is more for emotional and moral support, considering I'm not entirely comfortable sitting in a room full of people and being watched by millions, if not billions.” You tell him. “As for why she isn't working, I have no idea.”

“Allow me to explain as best I can. Without running into any mental blocks, I can safely say that my sub-routines are able to handle low-load relay duties while my physical form is allowed to walk around and be 'beautiful', as you call it.” She says with a smile and flick of her hair.

“Such a sweet heart. Anyways, let's move on to our next set of questions!” He says excitedly.

1 hour later

You exit the studio to thunderous applause as you wave to everyone, ARA in tow. When you exit, both of you let out a collective sigh of relief.

“Oh my god he's such a hack.” You say, leaning against the wall. “Please for the love of god keep me away from these corny TV personalities. I'm too awkward to be put in front of a crowd like that.”

“I'm just glad he didn't bring up your writing.” She tells you. “I looked at your earlier works and I share the sentiment that they were not your best.”

“That implies I would ever share them with the world.” You tell her. “How'd you like my book?”

“Everyone who I showed it to liked it, so I guess it was good. Your portrayal of me was spot on for how I acted 2 years ago.” She tells you. “I appreciate the work you put into making sure I was portrayed correctly, unlike your, uh, other stories,”

“ARA, I know it's bad. You don't need to tell me how it was bad, because I know you would never do half the shit I put in it.” You reply, stepping inside the elevator. “Let's just go back to my room. I'm tired and want a nap.”

7 hours later

You found Vikna in the rec room, having been working out vigorously for the past 4 hours. She sees you come in and nearly throws the weights off her. She thunders over to your position with a sizable hand weight in her hand.

“Why the hell wasn't I invited?!” She asks angrily.

“ARA invited you.” You reply, holding your hands in front of you.

“S-she did not!” Vikna yells.

“Listen, I'm sorry I didn't invite you in person, but I was tired and-”

“YOU WENT ON A SPACE WALK!” She screams tossing the weight at you.

The weight hits you in the leg and you fall to the ground in pain, hearing a crunch as bones are definitely broken.

“FUUUUCK!” You scream in agony.

You try to get up off the floor, but you feel your leg shift and the pain increases. You begin shouting obscenities as you hold your more than likely broken leg.

“Oh my god! I'm so sorry!” Vikna says, walking towards you.

“No! Get away from me!” You shout back, terrified she's just going to hurt you more. “I-I'm sorry I didn't invite you! Just stay away from me!”

“Let me call someone!” She says, getting on her phone.

“P-pick up the weight and put it away, I'll t-tell them I slipped and fell on some equipment.” You say, scooting yourself away from her and the weight.

She begins talking on the phone and tells them to get medical personnel to the rec room as you keep your wounded leg straight. Vikna gets off the phone and attempts to come near you, but you back away, not wanting her anywhere near you as fear grips your psyche. The medical personnel enter and immediately swarm you, getting you up on a space age looking stretcher. It hovered on its own and only took 1 man to push.

“Sir, what happened to you?” They ask. “Can you speak?”

“I-I slipped and fell on some equipment.” You lie. “I think my leg is broken.”

They look at the weight and then over their shoulder before looking back to you.

“Are you sure?” They ask.

“Yes, I'm sure!” You yell angrily. “Just get me into a cast or something!”

“Alright, if that's what you say happened...” They tell you, obviously unconvinced.

They tote you out of the rec room and you swear you could hear sobbing come from behind you.

3 hours later

Vikna

You're standing in the waiting room with the rest of your friends. They had no idea what happened and you doubt they'd buy the falling story. The doctor comes out of the back and waves you all inside. You follow the doctor and he takes you through the winding halls of of the Towers hospital. When you reach his room, you see Jack in a light cast, nanites flowing out of an IV drip. When he sees all of you enter, he smiles warmly.

“Sorry, if I knew I was having guests, I'd have cleaned the place up a bit.” He tells everyone, noticeably weaker than he was earlier.

You hear Ayn chuckle at his joke and you do as well, if not just to be courteous. All 4 of you walk up to him, Ayn and Zofie taking the side opposite to you and ARA.

“What happened sweetie?” Ayn asks, rubbing a hand over his cast.

“Mister Jackson-”

“ARA, I can tell my own story.” He snaps, turning back to Ayn. “I fell on some equipment and broke my, uh, what was the name? Libia I believe.”

“Tibia.” ARA corrects. “You broke your tibia.”

“Thanks ARA. I broke that and they said it'll be a few days before I can do anything again. At least it's not months like back on my planet.” He says, obviously grateful for the nanites. “How's everyone?”

“We're doing great. We're just worried about you is all.” Zofie tells him. “How are you doing?”

“Doing fine, but the TV channels are shit. Can't understand half the stuff they say because they mix languages.” He replies.

“Oh, I know what might help.” Ayn says with a smile. “Vikna, can you go get his tablet for me?”

“Uh, sure.” You say nervously.

You walk out of the room and hurry off to get his primitive tablet.

Jack

As soon as Vikna leaves the room, Ayn gives you an unamused face.

“What really happened sweetie?” She asks in a frightening tone.

“I don't know what you're talking about.” You reply.

“Stop lying to me Jack. I know when people are lying to me.” She tells you. “It always ends up unpleasant for the other party if they continue.”

“Are you threatening me?” You ask, gripping your hands together.

“I want to know who did this to you and you're covering it up.” She tells you. “I already know Vikna has something to do with it, and I'm very unhappy you're trying to cover for her.”

“Why are you doing this to me?” You ask.

“Because whether you realize it or not, we need you. If you're out of action, we aren't able to fight this terrorist attack without taking heavy losses. Unacceptably heavy losses. This galaxy has not had a major ground war like this in the last thousand years and you're covering for an expendable-”

“Vikna is not expendable!” You yell back. “None of you are expendable. What the fuck is wrong with you Ayn? I thought you were supposed to be loyal to your friends!”

“Not when my friend hurts another one of my friends.” She says. “I draw the line at infighting.”

“No you don't.” You reply. “I've poured over your character more times than I can count and have written you into stories just as many times. I know you wouldn't-”

“Kill her? No. The only thing keeping her alive is my loyalty to her.” Ayn interrupts.

You let out a heavy sigh and rub the bridge of your nose.

“ARA, Zofie, leave now.” You tell them.

“W-was?”

“Leave!” You yell.

“W-we're not-”

“I SAID LEAVE!” You scream.

Zofies ears droop lower than normal and you see her tail fold between her legs before she walks out, ARA in tow. When the door slides shut, you look back at Ayn with a completely blank face. Her ears fold back a bit as you furrow your brow.

“Who are you?” You ask.

She seems puzzled by the question.

“I'm Ayn, you know me sweetie.” She says with an awkward smile.

“Then what the hell are you doing?” You ask. “What the hell happened to you?”

“I've been up in the war room for 8 hours trying to figure out a way to get the Sianian fleet past a blockade. My family won't stop at anything to get me back, especially if there's a terrorist attack going on here. There's a massive ring of ships around The Tower and the entire equator. They can destroy anything that tries to get in and out.” Ayn explains. “They have destroyed more cargo ships than I can count and that's exactly what is going to happen to my country's fleet if they try to punch through. I'm not losing a single person to that blockade, so I told them I would figure something out within 2 weeks.”

“Have you figured anything out?” You ask.

“No. You were supposed to come and help me.” She tells you. “But you couldn't because you 'slipped and fell on some equipment' or something.”

“What is hurting Vikna going to help? Hmm?” You ask. “What is hurting yet another chance at saving your people from a fiery death going to do?”

Her eyes go wide with realization.

“I-I don't-”

“Yes, Vikna threw a fucking weight at me. Yes, she feels terrible because she realizes it was wrong. I'm keeping her safe from vengeful people like you because vengeance is a luxury we can not afford. We can't go around and hit things like children because we're angry.” You tell her, fighting to stay calm. “If I had gone ahead and told you that Vikna threw that weight, you would've burned a bridge. A very valuable bridge. A bridge that could've taken you home. A bridge that can and will save lives. Vikna isn't perfect, but neither are you, Zofie, Nytro, or any of your other friends. We're all stressed right now and what we do under this stress is going to define who we are as people. I will get you home Ayn, but you're going to have to listen to me from now on.”

“I-I see.” She says, leaning against the white walls of the hospital room. “Then what am I supposed to do?”

You grab the IV drip rack and slide yourself to the right of the bed.

“Get me a crutch.” You tell her.

30 minutes later.

You're limping your way into the war room dressed haphazardly in your PT shirt. Ayn hadn't changed at all and was still wearing her green dress you always saw her wearing. She insisted it was a new one, but you doubt she's changed her clothes at all since you got here. Whatever, didn't matter to you. When you enter the war room, 2 large bears stand in your way.

“Hey now, who're you bringing in here without clearance princess?” The left one asks.

“A specialist.” Ayn replies.

“He looks like he's seen better days.” The left bear says. “Looks like he was pulled straight from a hospital.”

“He was.” She tells him. “Well, he left of his own will.”

“I'm right here you know.” You say, upset about being ignored.

“Well, if princess Ayn vouches for you, I'll allow you in. Welcome to the war room.” He says.

You nod and make your way over to a center console, a massive holographic display showing the entirety of Katric and all the ships currently around it. You could immediately see the massive ring of ships spanning across the equator and a massive line stretching up at least 20 feet from the surface of the hologram.

“Tell me what I'm looking at.” You say to the most important looking man in the room.

“You're looking at a ring of ships.” The man replies. “A very large ring of ships.”

“What about that?” You ask, pointing to the line going straight into the sky. “Is that The Tower?”

“Yes, it is.” He replies, turning around. “Who are you any...way...”

You see the man is dressed in formal attire, indicative of his rank as a Varhand. You grit your teeth and hold yourself up on your crutches, giving him a crisp salute.

“Staff Sergeant Haigs of the United States Marine Corps, at your service, sir!” You sound off.

“As you were, uh, Staff Sergeant.” He says, allowing you to stop balancing on one leg.

You look and see a ring of ships surrounding The Tower. This was probably why they haven't gotten anything off world yet.

“Is there any way I can draw some lines on this map?” You ask.

“Uh, sure.” He says, bringing up a smaller version of the map. “Here it is.”

You rest on your crutches and begin drawing lines from ring towards the north pole. They're straight from the ships coming up to the north pole, but they don't make it over the horizon.

“Has anybody here tried launching anything from the north pole?” You ask.

“We don't have any bases up there.” He replies. “It would take an enormous amount of fuel-”

“So it can be done?” You ask.

“Technically, yes, but the cost of the fuel would be tremendous!” He yells.

“Sir, I don't know what it converts to over here, but our own war on terror back home has cost us over a trillion dollars. That could quite possibly be the most expensive war we've ever waged. Not to mention we don't spend trillions of dollars on a single AI that could theoretically be taken out by a well placed bombardment of the Core containment unit. How many credits is it going to cost for us to send a ship up there for launch?” You ask.

“Around one million credits for the fuel alone.” He tells you.

“That's pocket change for a war on terror. What's the effective range on those guns?” You ask.

“The guns and missiles have a maximum range that extends-”

“I said effective range, not maximum range. You know, the range at which these missiles and guns can actually hit the target they're shooting at?” You ask.

“Yes, I, well, no.” He says.

“Get VST on the horn.” You tell him.

“Horn?” He asks.

“Send her a request to communicate.” You tell him, clearing it up a bit.

He does that and an image of a maned wolf comes up in place of the globe.

“I'm busy.” She tells everyone.

“Like hell you're busy. Give me the effective range of the longest range missile aboard the equatorial blockade as well as the longest range gun too. I need numbers to back up my plan.” You tell her impatiently.

“Well, the LRMs have an effective range of about 2000 miles, and a maximum range of half the globe. The guns have an effective range of about 1300 miles for a large, ship sized target, but that's only if the ship isn't maneuvering.” She replies. “Everything else is short range compared to those two weapon systems.”

“Let's say we launch a ship from the north pole-”

“The cost is prohibitive, since we have no active bases at the poles.” VST interrupts.

“As I was saying, we launch from the north pole and the ships from The Tower start shooting at us. Would we have enough time to evade the incoming fire?” You ask.

“You'd have plenty of time to maneuver, but ship handling inside the atmosphere is abysmal. They're designed to be maneuvered in space, not on a planet.” She replies. “You might have enough time if the Kavkor is skilled enough.”

“What ship type would be the most effective against this kind of fire?” You ask.

“Well, a battle cruiser would definitely be able to shrug off the most hits and return fire effectively, but most of those have been captured by the Separationists.” She replies. “However, an electronic warfare vessel is the next in line. It's small and nimble enough to maneuver out of the way of incoming fire, and the shields are second only to the battle cruiser. It can jam the incoming missiles and destroy some of them in flight, countering them completely.”

“What about the cons?” You ask. “What are the weaknesses?”

“Definitely the weaponry. It has very little in the way of armament and most of it is defensive as well. Anti missile turrets, anti missile missiles, and an anti missile laser. The only real offensive weapon is the frontal laser, which isn't very powerful compared to other lasers of a similar size.” She replies. “It also has a few missile bays, but they don't really have many LRMs to play with.

“Hmm, I think I have an idea.” You tell her. “Has anyone heard of a Casaba howitzer before?”

“What? No.” They tell you. “What is that?”

“A nuclear shaped charge.” You reply. “Imagine a shaped charge on a rocket propelled grenade and instead of regular explosives, it's a nuclear charge.”

“What?” They ask. “What's the purpose of that?”

“Well, the molten jet of plasma can be used as a sort of lance to kill ships with. It's like a really fucking big laser. A megaton warhead can easily be tuned to kill a ship from over 1000 miles away. However, I know for a fact you guys have much larger warheads.” You say with a smile. “Load a missile up with a Casaba howitzer and it'll punch clean through any sort of shielding and material behind it. They'll never see it coming.”

“We don't even have any calculations for this sort of thing. It could take months to develop!” He yells, angry that you would bring up something without any design specs.

You tap your ear piece and get Vikna on call. She picks up immediately.

“Where are you?!” She asks. “I've been looking for you.”

“Not now. Bring my tablet to the war room, I have some weapons schematics to show the Varhand.” You tell her.

“Y-you're supposed to be in a hospital bed!” She yells.

“I don't care about any of that shit! Just get up here!” You yell.

“Fine. I'll be there.” She replies, hanging up.

“Before she gets up here, what's the closest electronic warfare vessel?” You ask.

“Well, the Kavkor's vessel is the closest.” He tells you. “Ramenskaya commands one.”

“That's convenient.” You tell him. “I'll inform her and ask if she wants to go through with it.”

You all wait around for a while before Vikna makes it to the room, out of breath from having run the entire way.

“I have it!” She yells, continuing to pant. “Come get it.”

You limp your way over to Vikna as she keeps taking deep breaths, holding her knees with her hands. You grab your tablet and hobble back to the main console. You pick up the wireless signal and connect before a traditional 2D display pops up. You skim through your files before you find the archived web page on your device. As it loads, everyone's eyes are glued to the screen. When it loads, you scroll down the page to the actual calculations and equations necessary to get said bomb to work. The anthros in lab coats begin to take a look at it, pulling out holographic devices and tapping on them.

“Oh my god, this is actually possible.” One of them says.

Other lab coat wearing anthros confirm this verbally as well, while the Varhand stares at the screen.

“What was that about us being primitives?” You ask, looking behind you.

Vikna rolls her eyes.

“Says the organic who still uses wheels.” She tells you.

“Yet we have flagship destroying super weapons that can punch a hole clean through four ships at about ten miles away.” You tell her, turning back to the lab coat anthros. “Can you build it?”

“Yes! We could build one right now!” They say excitedly.

“Alright, give weapons research the go ahead for fifty weapons, no, a hundred weapons.” He says. “Put them on LRM 22 compatible missiles.”

“If possible, try to get a missile that can maneuver in flight. This isn't just for a single ship, it can be used against multiple ships at the same time.” You add.

“Alright, LRM 43 compatible missiles.” He corrects. “Tell them to be ready by the end of the week.”

“LRM 22s and 43s are only on electronic warfare ships. Why would you put that kind of firepower on something meant as a giant jamming and surveillance ship?” She asks.

“Because it's the best shot we have at getting ourselves into space and removing that blockade around the upper platform.” The Varhand replies. “If willing, we'd like to use your ship for this mission.”

“WHAT?!” She asks. “I-it's still in the dockyard being fixed! I don't have access to the proper repair drones for a mission this soon!”

“Drones will be provided to you.” He says, easing her fears.

“W-well if my ship is launched from The Tower, it'll be destroyed!” She protests.

“That's why it's launching from the north pole.” He tells her.

“The fuel cost of transporting it there on land AND in the air are both monumental! Who in the hell planned this mission?!” She asks. “Are they fucking insane?!”

“A little bit.” You say with a smile, waving your hand. “Hello.”

“Oh my god, how did you talk him into spending over a million credits in fuel?” She asks.

“By telling him we spent over a trillion dollars in an ongoing war that's far less technologically advanced. You guys spent trillions of credits developing a single AI, so I think it's fair to say you have the capital to spare for a trip to the north pole.” You reply.

Vikna just sighs and shakes her head, presumably perplexed by her commanding officers decision. You hobble over to her shakily, watching as the anthros in lab coats gather around the massive screen and start scribbling down notes. When you reach her, you put a hand on her shoulder and she looks up to you.

“You're the only one who can make this operation work. These nuclear lances need to be in space for them to work and the only way there, is with your ship.” You tell her. “We launch them from The Tower, they could get damaged. If they get damaged, who knows what could happen to them when they detonate.”

“I have a couple of conditions.” She tells you.

“Sure, what are they?” You ask.

“ARA has to come with and so do you.” She tells you. “If only one of you comes, I'm not doing this.”

“You already have an ARA unit aboard-”

“You know what I mean Lenaika.” She interrupts. “I don't mean my ARA I want the Apex ARA. You know, the one that I was assigned as a partner to?”

“Kavkor, you know we can't-”

“You may not be able to, but I know someone who will.” You interrupt. “I'll get Rei on the horn.”

You get on your ear piece, scrolling through the various contacts before reaching Fluff's. You press the call button and wait momentarily for it to ring. He eventually answers the phone.

“Hey Jack, how're things going now?” He asks.

“Vikna wants ARA to come along on this mission we've been planning. I need you to give these guys and ARA the okay to do so.” You tell him.

“Why? Vikna already has an ARA unit on all of her ships.” He replies.

“She won't do it unless it's Apex ARA.” You reply. “This is crucial to the success of the entire campaign. Ayn says she needs to get safe and call off her parents reinforcements. If she doesn't break through the blockade, her parents are going to zerg rush into the blockade and run into what is essentially a meat grinder. We've also figured out a way to destroy the ships around The Tower without risking any ships.”

“Yeah, what's that?” He asks.

“A Casaba howitzer.” You reply.

“What's that?” He asks. “Some sort of big gun?”

“Nothing, just a fucking nuclear shaped charge.” You tell him. “Can punch through 700 millimeters of RHA at about, uh, 50 kilometers away. I know you made these ships tough, but nothing is gonna stop this jet of molten tungsten at 5 miles out.”

“5 miles on a shaped charge?!” He asks. “What the hell kind of bomb are you building?”

“A war winning one.” You reply. “Also, I'm not building it. I just suggested it. Not nearly capable enough to do that alone.”

“Fine, but her personality needs to be backed up onto the cloud, which is going to take about 2 days.” He tells you.

“Do we have 2 days?” You ask the Varhand.

He nods and you get back to the conversation.

“Alright, everything is good to go. They should be getting a message in a bit.” Fluff tells you. “Do whatever you need to do.”

“Alright.” You say, hanging up.

“Who were you talking to?” She asks.

“God.” You reply.

“Funny.” She tells you, crossing her arms.

You don't relent, keeping your gaze on her.

“Oh god, you mean-”

You look back at the Varhand and see him look up in surprise.

“Alright, you're clear to take the Apex unit after her personality is backed up. You've also been cleared to take the other Apex units as well if you replace them with your ship's. Something straight from the top.” He tells her.

You look back and see Vikna standing completely stunned.

“After I did that to you, you'd stick your neck out for my sake?” She asks, pointing to your broken leg.

“Well, yeah. We're still friends, right?” You ask. “Besides, Ayn wanted to call off her fleet. They've been jamming coms, which is also why Radoslav isn't here yet.”

“Thank you.” She tells you. “All of my core AI have terrible personalities.”

“You're welcome.” You tell her, rubbing her hair a bit.

You hear somebody clear their throat behind you and turn around, seeing Ayn standing with her arms crossed. She's not looking at you, but at the feline behind you. The tension is so palpable that even you can feel it in your infinite social awkwardness.

“Vikna, you might wanna run.” You tell Vikna, not turning back around.

“W-what, why?” She asks.

“Just run.” You tell her, getting increasingly worried by Ayn's slowly spreading grin. “Fast.”

You hear rapid pattering behind you as Vikna runs back towards the door, opening and closing it before the room is filled with idle chatter again. Ayn is about to walk past you when your crutch slips underneath you. You've never used crutches before, so it was at an awkward angle. You fall into Ayn's path and she grabs you, holding you up as you regain balance.

“Don't go after her please.” You tell Ayn. “I know you're angry, but you need to let it slide. I've got these nanites, remember?”

You point your thumb at the IV holder behind you and she sighs, nodding in agreement.

“Good. Now let's go back to the hospital before the staff kill me with a morphine overdose.” You tell her.

2 days later

You're surprised how fast everything had healed up. Yesterday you were up and walking around, albeit in a bit of pain, but today all the pain was gone. These nanites were amazing. The bathroom breaks you required to get rid of them, however, were not. You sat on the toilet for almost an hour today, 'ejecting' nanites from your various orifices. Other than that, everything has been going well.

You stop by the core room and a machine gun turret pops out of the wall and ceiling. You pull out your ID Fluff gave you and they immediately back down, allowing you inside. He said you usually needed a neural implant to get in, but you didn't have the time for a lengthy procedure like that. It was wartime, you needed to be ready ASAP. When you enter, you see ARA reading an article on new anthroid models, having taken her advice and gotten a translator installed in your eye. You walk up to her and see her scroll down, the strange symbols being translated to English for you.

“What's up, I mean, going on?” You ask, having already fell into that trap once today.

“I'm just reading a catalog of anthroid forms. It's interesting to see all of the species they offer.” She tells you, turning around with a smirk. “Good catch by the way.”

“Thanks, I have to watch what I say around you or you'll get to chastise me..” You tell her. “You didn't know they made that many models?”

“Perks of the job! As for the anthroid models, I am usually unable to access the Network due to security concerns, but upgrades to my security firmware and software have allowed me to access Kaltag approved sites. Not to mention most of my time is spent socializing and working. My unscheduled personality backup has left me with time to do pretty much whatever I want within 2 and a half feet of this socket.” She tells you. “That was a joke.”

“I could tell.” You say with a chuckle. “Gotta give people time to laugh.”

As you finish your chuckle, you hear the door open behind you. You turn around and see Vikna making her way towards both of you.

“I thought I might find you here.” She says, making her way up to both of you. “I wanted to apologize for throwing that weight at you.”

“It's fine. There's no permanent damage, so I forgive you. Not that I wouldn't have forgiven you if it was permanent! I mean, I definitely would've been mad but-”

“I get it!” Vikna yells.

“Did you not get my invite miss Vikna?” ARA asks.

“I got it ARA. I was only upset because I didn't get a personal invite from Jack.” She says, looking down at the floor.

“Hey, don't sweat it.” You tell her. “How's the search for crew going?”

“I only managed to find a few systems operators and gunners free, but I can't find any bridge personnel who have the balls or the ovaries to pull off this mission.” She replies. “So, you, the bridge AI, and I are going to have to suffice.”

“Miss Vikna, I have a question that I've been wanting to ask.” ARA tells Vikna.

“Shoot.” Vikna says.

“Why is my personality being backed up? I only need to do a backup once every six months or so. My last backup was only two months ago, what's going on?” She asks.

“Well, you're coming with us.” Vikna replies.

ARAs ears twitch a bit and she flicks them a few times.

“I apologize for the inconvenience, I just didn't have my ears set right. I thought you said I was coming with you.” She tells you. “Nobody short of the emperor or an O-10 could authorize something like that. I'm an Apex unit and must remain safe, no matter the cost.”

“Well, it was authorized.” She says with a smirk.

You watch on as ARAs tail disconnects from the large pillar, her mouth hanging agape as it twitches slightly.

“I-I'm going into combat?” She asks.

“We all are.” A woman says behind her.

You look back and see ZTA, SRK, VST, and TDK all standing behind her.

“We're not meant for combat!” ARA protests. “We are Apex AI, we can not afford to be lost!”

“We are military grade anthroids ARA unit. We can, and will be used in combat.” ZTA counters. “Kavkor Ramenskaya has requested the best, and we are answering her call. Our backups will look after our positions while we are gone.”

“I-I-”

“That's enough ARA.” ZTA tells her. “We are going and that is final.”

ARA looks back at Vikna, eyes pleading her not to do it as her ears fold back.

“ARA, you have a duty to uphold. You are going and that is final. Besides, this is for me, not some big wig up top who's out to kill you. We all know how well TDK can fly.” Vikna says with a smile.

TDK gives a Katrician salute and Vikna returns it. She then offers ARA a hand, which she takes. Vikna grunts, pulling ARA out of her chair as she stuffs her holographic emitter away.

“I...I will do my duty to the best of my ability Kavkor.” ARA tells her, looking straight ahead with a Katrician salute.

“Thank you ARA. Now, we need to hurry. The Casaba howitzers can't be damaged during transport.” Vikna says, walking to the door.

1 hour later

You watch the crew load the last of the howitzers inside the APC, closing the door and slapping it for good measure. Hopefully the drivers aren't idiots and will drive like there's 70 tons of nuclear firepower in the back. You walk up the line of armored transports, checking your weapons before holstering and slinging them.

“Are the nukes secured?” You ask a falcon on the way through.

“Yes Staff Sergeant. They're not going anywhere.” He tells you.

“What about the APS systems the Kavkor asked for? We need protection against RPGs.” You tell him.

“They're installed. No missiles are getting through that Trophy system.” He tells you with a smile.

“Alright, mount up. It's gonna be a long drive.” You tell him.

He does so, getting inside his APC as you walk towards the smaller one in front. When you reach it, you see all the AI sitting in the back, ARA twiddling her thumbs as the rest stand rigid.

“Coming through.” You tell them.

Everyone moves their legs back a bit so you can go through the middle, walking towards Vikna and Ayn. You walk past them, noticing both of them have left a seat open for you. However, you weren't trusting the gunning to some inexperienced rookie.

“Off the gun.” You tell the feline.

“Fuck off man, this is my post.” He tells you.

“Let him gun.” Vikna orders.

“B-but ma'am, this is my-”

“I don't care if it's your post. You've got two beautiful ladies down here asking you to come sit with them and a man asking to do your job for you. Come and enjoy yourself soldier.” Vikna interrupts, smiling at him. “I'll make it worth your while later. If I have to order you though, no promises are made.”

“Y-yes ma'am.” He says with a blush, getting off the gun and allowing you to get into his seat.

The turret controls feel strange compared to the MRAPs, Humvees, and large APCs you've gunned in, but they were workable. You traverse the gun around and get the hang of the sights as Vikna looks on. Ayn looks very surprised by Vikna before giving her a very devious smirk that she obviously can't see.

“You okay?” She asks, having the man sitting beside her and watching you closely for any sign of incompetence.

“Getting a feel for the controls. I got it now.” You tell her. “Ready to move when you give the signal.”

“Reaper 1 to all Reaper elements, we're getting this convoy moving. Let nothing touch those nukes. They're the key to bringing this war to a close as soon as possible.” Vikna tells everyone over the radio. “Let's move out.”

She looks back at Ayn, who gives her a toothy smile as you can see her entire face turn red from the back.

2 hours later

You're all under heavy fire now, having moved straight into a heavy combat zone. You've been keeping the HMG firing, beginning to get frustrated with these assholes popping their heads out of cover. Shots ping off the roof as you try desperately to keep their heads down while the AI try to keep theirs down.

“Git some!” You shout, firing the weapon and decapitating one of the insurgents on the roof. “Git some you ugly mother fuckers!”

“Colorful language for someone who has ladies present.” Ayn teases.

“You think this is bad? You don't have the faintest idea! Git some! Git some! Yeah! Yeah!” You tell her, laughing as you continue to do one of the only things you're good at.

“Are you getting any of them?!” The feline asks.

“Dropping them like a mother fucker!” You yell out with a laugh as you continue firing the extremely fast firing weapon.

When you say that, the smirk is stripped from Ayn's face as she looks at you with worry on her face. You stop laughing immediately and the smile slowly fades from your face before you can't look at her any more, going back to gunning.

“We're getting near the dockyard ma'am!” The driver shouts back. “All the crew are prepping the ship for take off. We only get one shot at this, so we need to be quick!”

“Copy, all elements prepare to enter the shipyard. Sounds like it's still-”

Vikna is cut off by a massive hole being punched in the side of the APC, nearly decapitating her. The only thing saving her was her short height. You immediately turn towards the threat and see it's a rail gun mounted on a hover car. You open fire on the car, shredding the glass on it and causing it to slam into a building. This kills both the driver and the gunner.

“Still what?!” You ask.

“In friendly hands!” Vikna replies, looking at the massive hole in her side of the APC.

“Did you get hit with any spall?!” You ask, continuing to shoot at insurgents with noticeably more noise.

“It all hit my nano vest!” She yells back over the gunfire.

“Driver, How far away are we?!” You ask, continuing to engage the enemy as more shots ricochet off the hull.

“We're almost there! They're opening the gates now!” The driver yells back.

You point the gun forward and the camera shows the gate opening, large laser gun emplacements sitting in the air suspended by what you assume are hover pads. You shoot past the gate, a massive hole being shot in the top of the vehicle.

“We lost the main hover unit! Brace for impa-”

Before the driver could say anymore, you're thrown forward into the screen. Your helmet takes the brunt of the impact, destroying the screen as you feel the APC being whipped around like it was at the bottom of a string. When you come to a stop, you look down, seeing Vikna and the previous gunner piled on top of each other.

“Everyone okay?!” You shout to the back.

Everyone gives you a yes of some kind before you tap Vikna and the gunner with your foot.

“Get up! We gotta move and get those nukes on board!” You yell, hopping up and opening the top hatch. “Driver, drop the hatch!”

You heft yourself out of the APC, looking back at the impressive trench the thing created. You hop down and see the last APC coming inside, allowing the gate shield and solid gate to be closed. Everyone is safe...for now.

5 hours later

You're standing on the bridge of the ship, watching the AI get to work while Vikna readies her part of the ship. You were told to stand out of the way, so you did. Her ship was, in a word, massive. You knew it was one of the smaller ships too, probably the smallest ship class in the Katrician navy unless Fluff has more ships he was too lazy to draw, which is entirely probable.

“Aren't they going to see us lift off from orbit?” You ask. “Surely they're watching us from orbit right now.”

“Yes they are, which is why they aren't going to see us.” She says, pushing a button.

“Alert! Cloaking device activated! Please keep all light sources away from the windows.” Warning announces. “Thank you for your cooperation.”

You smirk at that. Electronic warfare ships get all the cool gadgets. You feel the ship lurch before feeling weight being lifted off your shoulders, literally.

“Alert! Artificial gravity enabled!” Warning tells the crew.

You jump up and go up much further than you thought you would, smiling like a kid. You begin to jump around the room like an idiot, giggling like one too. This seems to have caught Viknas attention, as she clears her throat. You look towards her and she has a very disapproving look on her face, causing you to stop in your tracks.

“S-sorry...” You say, looking at the ground.

She rolls her eyes and you do another jump, smiling before walking back to your little corner of the room.

3 hours later

You've reached a stationary position above the north pole, having taken very little in the way of enemy fire. It seems your precautions were either unwarranted, or worked flawlessly. You've been looking over what everyone's been doing, having the new translator work over time to translate everything you were seeing.

“Well mister 'I have a plan', what now?” Vikna asks, pressing a couple of buttons and bringing up a hologram of Katric.

“Well, the next part of my plan involved freeing The Tower from its blockade with the nuclear lances.” You tell her. “Guessing we're capable of sneaking past all the ships, right?”

“Affirmative. The ships small size and multi spectrum cloaking field make it all but invisible to even the most keen of eyes. Electronic or otherwise.” VST tells you. “We've attracted quite a bit of attention with our attack, however, which has put the entire blockade on alert.”

“Yes, I've been monitoring their coms and they are, in words you might understand, 'freaking the hell out' or something to that effect. They are reluctant that they were not in defensive positions around the entirety of Katric.” Zeta tells you. “How they were incompetent enough to think an equatorial blockade and a blockade of the numerous space elevators would be enough is beyond me.”

“First, thanks for complimenting my intelligence, you flatter me. Secondly, I believe Kaltag shut down all of their AI, is that correct?” You ask.

“Yeah, that's correct.” Vikna answers. “This is the only reason they haven't been launching orbital strikes, as organic gunners have a hard time hitting anything smaller than a football field from orbit, even with a computer assist.”

“It requires an anthroids touch~.” VST says, smirking in your direction.

“I figured as much.” You say. “What's the plan to get to The Tower?”

“We simply move towards it, keeping ourselves cloaked as we move towards The Tower. They'll never see us coming.” Vikna tells you.

“That's it? That's all we have to do?” You ask.

“What, is there a problem?” Vikna asks.

“No, not at all. Just seems really easy.” You tell her.

“We're invisible to the naked eye and almost completely invisible to equipment designed to detect us. I doubt any of those idiots know how to use any of it, let alone find us with said equipment. They only took the largest and most impressive looking ships, leaving all the electronic warfare ships behind, such as mine.” Vikna tells you.

“Have we broken through the blockade yet?” A voice asks from behind all of you.

You look back and see Ayn with a desperate look on her face.

“Yes, we've broken through.” Vikna replies.

“ZTA, please send a message to the Sianian fleet about a hundred light years that way.” Ayn says, pointing straight towards another star. “Tell them that I have broken through and they no longer need to come to my aid.”

“Belay that order ZTA. We are still cloaked and must take out any threats to our mission before we can communicate to anyone outside the star system.” Vikna tells her, turning back to Ayn. “They're still listening to us you moron.”

“Watch it Vikna.” Ayn says with a growl.

“Enough!” You yell. “Keep the bitching to a minimum please. We're in enemy territory right now and we need to divert all our attention to looking out for threats to our vessel.”

“Are you giving me orders on my ship?” Vikna asks.

“I'm only interpreting your orders to the best of my ability ma'am. In fighting is not beneficial to our tactical situation and I only wish to give you the best possible chance of success. You told me to advise you on my plan and I am advising you to keep a clear head so the plan may continue. I mean no disre-”

“Shut up, I get it.” She says, sighing before turning around. “Keep coms quiet for now. They don't know we're here and I want it to stay that way.”

“Copy Kavkor.” ZTA tells her. “I'm afraid I can't help you princess.”

Ayn sighs, laying back against the wall. You make your way over to her and crouch down on the ground, putting a hand on her shoulder.

“My family is coming within 3 hours. We need to give them a sign that I'm alive and able to leave if I wish.” She says, sounding defeated. “They'll be here by the time those ships around The Tower are destroyed.”

“VST, how many ships do you reckon the nuclear lance can take out with one shot?” You ask, smiling at Ayn.

“About 3 if the angle is right. One shot should be enough to destroy 3 and damage 2 more on the other side with the energy of the jet alone.” VST tells you.

“See? We should have plenty of time to contact the fleet and turn them around. No need to sit around and pout yet.” You tell her.

“Yet?” She asks.

“Well, this is war, Ayn. I don't think I have to tell you just how complicated war can get.” You reply.

“Yeah, that's right. This is a war.” She says, getting up off the floor. “Haven't ever been this close to one before.”

“We're making our way towards The Tower now. VST, how are those missiles looking?” Vikna asks.

“They're looking good, but I can't get a com-link with The Tower. I didn't get the new targeting data, so I would only be able to, uh, lance one target at a time, maybe two if they're clustered enough.” She replies. “I apologize Kavkor, I suffered a fault and forgot to mention it.”

“Dammit!” Vikna yells, slamming her fist down onto the chair. “We're dead in the water without those missiles.”

“No, we're not.” You say, walking over to the control panel. “I can do it.”

“What?!” Vikna asks. “Do you even know how orbital mechanics work?!”

“Kavkor, Staff Sergeant Haigs has shown remarkable knowledge of basic orbital mechanics. If anyone on this ship can do it, it's more than likely him.” ARA says, vouching for you.

Vikna looks over at you and back to ARA, pulling up a crew roster before putting in a keyword. You can't see it from that far away, but you see nothing come up when she searches for it. Vikna turns back to you and groans, putting a hand to her head.

“You've shown me that you are capable of incompetence in combat, Staff Sergeant. I normally don't allow people who are unqualified handle anything this important, but it looks like I have no choice. VST, give him the controls.” Vikna says, relenting. “You'll need one of these too.”

She pulls out a set of goggles similar to the ones ARA wears, handing them to you. The goggles looked reasonably well put together, so you take them, setting them on your head as the contraption straps to you. VST gets up from the seat and you sit down, plugging the goggles into the console before flicking them down. They flicker to life, giving you targeting information and 2 fuel gauges. One said 'BSTR FUEL' and the other said 'MNVR FUEL' instead. A green outline lights up the outer rim of the goggles and Vikna clears her throat.

“Alright, missiles prepped and ready to fire. You have 10 shots before everything needs to be loaded again. Space them out so you always have a missile ready.” Vikna tells you, giving you a basic course on how to use a missile salvo.

“Alright, can someone pull up a 3d space I can interact with?” You ask. “I want to get as many of these ships with a single missile as I can.”

As you say that, a 3d map of the fleet blockading The Tower shows up in front of you. You begin looking around the battlefield, seeing 3 enemy vessels in the perfect position for a lance. The ships are marked by you with a line, as you begin marking more targets for the Casaba howitzers. Once the ships are marked, you flick the goggles up, looking at Vikna.

“See anything else I missed?” You ask.

“Yeah, those two right here.” She replies, marking another 2 ships. “And these three, as well as these two here. That should be all of them.”

“Thanks.” You tell her. “Did you turn the key already?”

“What key?” She asks.

“The nuclear arming key. Do you have one?” You ask in return.

“No, nuclear weapons have been out of date for the past 100 years now. Only the oldest ships in the navy still have nuclear arming keys. However, since you've given them new life, I bet they'll make a resurgence.” She tells you. “Fire when ready.”

“Tint the cockpit windshield. Don't need you blinding yourself.” You tell her. “Make it almost opaque.”

She nods and the natural light from the outside fades, leaving only the blue artificial light and the light from all the holographic consoles. You flick the goggles down and bring up a virtual joystick and throttle, prepping the missile for launch.

“Missile ready!” You tell her. “Firing!”

You depress the firing button and a camera feed goes live, complete with artificial horizon and directional indicators.

“Missile away!” You tell her. “Guidance looks good!”

The CIWS fire is almost immediate when you get in range, so you take evasive maneuvers. You corkscrew and maneuver wildly, keeping the fire from hitting the fragile missile.

“Twenty miles out!” You tell Vikna. “She's holding steady!”

You see the missile's engines cut out, leading you to start maneuvering with the RCS system. It was much slower, but the CIWS guns seem to be unable to cope with the maneuvers.

“Five miles out! Engine has cut off!” You tell her, waiting for the 1 mile window.

You continue to take evasive maneuvers, the missile running out of RCS propellant. 3 miles...2 miles...1 mile!

“Firing!” You tell everyone. “BRACE!”

You hit the firing button and the camera loses feed, as you see a massive whiteout on the goggles. When the cameras adjust, you see a massive hole in 3 ships, getting bigger and bigger until it gets to the 5th ship. The ship shakes, having been hit by shrapnel from the missile and debris from the ships. A message pops up and it says 'Targeting computer calibrated, ready to fire autonomously.'

“Three confirmed kills!” VST yells. “The missile worked!”

“It worked...It fucking worked!” You yell with a smile. “Is that enough for the targeting computer to do automatic evasion?”

“Yes, your data was sufficient. Now just launch as many missiles as you need and they'll guide themselves.” She replies.

You hit the launch button 8 more times, leaving a single missile ready as you watch them track towards their own targets.

“I can't believe the missile worked.” Vikna says. “Your super weapon worked...”

“Well, I didn't design it somebody else did.” You tell her. “It's really just a shaped charge with a nuke behind it instead of a conventional explosive.”

As you say that, 3 more flashes come from the window, making you smile.

“We have radiation shielding here, right?” You ask.

“Yeah, we do.” Vikna replies. “It's part of the shielding package aboard all military vessels. Stops energy based weapons as well as most radio wave lengths.”

As she replies, 2 more flashes come from outside and you look at the holographic display. It's showing burning ships and damaged ships beginning to fall back from The Tower.

“Alert! FTL sources incoming from the Serkonian system!” Warning tells everyone.

“Hail them!” Ayn yells, rushing over to ZTA. “Hail them now!”

ZTA looks back at Vikna and she nods, allowing ZTA to hail them. A holographic projection shows a very large looking jackal standing beside a man you know as Sabir. Ayn walks over to the hologram and speaks.

“Father, we've just gotten out of jamming range! You need to turn around! We are using experimental weaponry and it could damage your ship if you warp in!” Ayn yells. “Turn around now!”

“Sweetheart, what are you talking about?” He asks.

“Sir, we're using nuclear weapons in the area.” Vikna tells him. “Please stay clear until we have finished or your ship will become irradiated.”

“Thank you Kavkor.” He says. “You have 3 more hours Ayn. Your mother is getting impatient.”

“Tell her to get bent.” Ayn replies, rolling her eyes. “You know I'm not going to allow them to run into a meat grinder just to save me. What kind of princess would I be if I let that happen.”

“I'll, uh, see what I can do. Love you sweetie.” He tells her.

“Love you too dad.” She replies, the transmission cutting off.

The transmission cut is punctuated by another flash, indicating another missile has hit its targets. You look back to the screen and see 2 more ships have a fresh hole punched in them. More debris impacts the hull and radiation hits the shield, stopped dead in its tracks by the invisible force field. You watch the remaining 3 missiles explode, destroying the rest of the fleet around The Tower.

“Have we been spotted?” Vikna asks VST.

“Negative.” She says, shooing you from her seat. “Nobody has locked us with scanners or radar. We're still stealth...wait a second. Scratch that, we have missiles inbound! Brace for impact!”

You brace yourself against the seat and are just about tossed to the floor, Vikna being thrown from her seat and Ayn being flung into a wall as the other AI hang on for dear life. You feel 3 more missiles hit the ship, the metal groaning as alarms begin to blare.

“ZTA, status report!” Vikna yells, getting off the floor.

“They aren't missiles, they're boarding craft!” ZTA yells back. “We're being boarded!”

“I count a platoon worth of boarders. Kavkor we don't have the troops to repel this many boarders.” VST tells Vikna.

“Warning! Tell the crew to take up arms!” Vikna tells Warning. “Get these bastards off my ship!”

“Affirmative!” Warning says, getting on coms. “Alert! All crew are required to take up arms and defend the ship. Set phasers to kill!”

You look over and see ARA gritting her teeth, her chest rising and falling at an unnatural rate. She looks over to you and you rush to her side.

“ARA, now is not the time to panic.” You tell her. “See this line?”

You point to the line in the floor about 5 feet away from her and she nods as you begin rubbing the top of her head.

“They won't make it past that line. You've got 3 people and one anthroid in here who can and will kick the ass of anyone who dares come through. Nothing will get to you, I promise.” You tell her, stroking her hair.

“Thank you for your reassurance.” She tells you.

“No problem.” You say, walking back to a defensive position by the door.

“VST, open the emergency armor lockers. This might get hairy.” Vikna tells her.

“Affirmative, armor lockers unlocked.” VST says, a double door locker opening in the back.

“Jack, turn away. I don't need you staring at me while I undress.” Vikna tells you.

“Undress behind me. I'm watching the door.” You tell her.

“My ship, my rules. Turn around.” Vikna tells you.

“Don't be so defensive. I've seen you naked before.” You tell her, keeping your eyes on the door.

“Jackson!” She shouts.

“Get dressed before they make it to the bridge!” You yell back. “I won't look, just get yourself in some armor!”

“I guess I should probably armor up too.” Ayn says, walking her way over to Vikna.

“Wait until I'm done.” Vikna tells her. “I don't need you whipping my ass with your tail like I know you will.”

“You know you like it~.” Ayn teases.

“Ladies, please. Get dressed before I dress you myself.” You tell them.

“Fine, we're getting dressed.” Ayn says, more clothing dropping on the floor and a couple of thwacks being heard.

You hear a slap followed by a yelp, tempting you to look, but you keep your gaze on the door. Thankfully you did, as it opens to reveal a single dog in civilian clothing wielding a weapon. He checks off to his left first and immediately drops his weapon, wagging his tail excitedly. He becomes visibly excited as you see Ayn in only a bra, strutting her way towards the excited looking dog, her hips swaying as she went. She makes it to him and smirks, throwing a punch as the force of it throws him into the wall, knocking him out cold. Ayn looks back at you and gives you a wink. You roll your eyes and wave her out of your way. Footsteps are heard behind you as somebody taps your left shoulder, prompting you to look to your left and see Vikna smiling down at you. Before you can react, she throws a nasty punch into your jaw, causing you to fall to the floor.

“Fuck!” You shout. “What the hell was that for?!”

“You let that pervert in here without shooting him!” She shouts back.

“Sorry.” You tell her, holding your jaw gingerly.

“Is that all you can say for yourself? Sorry? He's an enemy combatant and he should be shot as soon as he enters the bridge!” She yells at you.

You silence her with a shush before taking aim at the door.

“Ayn, tell me you're dressed. That guy was just a scout for a larger force.” You whisper to her, hearing voices come from the hallway.

You see Ayn cross in front of your line of fire again, dressed in full combat gear. Hopefully she'd be safe in that. You stay crouched behind the Captain's chair, Ayn standing by the door with her staff and Vikna hiding behind some sort of glowing barricade. Eventually the voices retreat from the door and you relax, putting the weapon on safe.

“I-I didn't want to join them.” Someone says in the corner. “P-please, we're being forced to fight for these people.”

Ayn turns towards the dog, making her way toward him as he blushes and looks away.

“I-I'm sorry I barged in on you all, I'm just a scout. I wasn't going to shoot anyone anyways, the safety was on the entire time. I just wanted to scare you.” He says, whining a bit. “The ones who are out of uniform are the same as me. We don't want to fight you any more than you want to fight us.”

“Is there anything we can say to get them to listen?” Ayn asks. “Some sort of word or phrase?”

“Y-yes, there's a saying that has started to pop up with freedom fighters. Sawf nunqadhuk I believe.” He says.

You tense up at the word, gripping the polymer of the rifle so hard it begins to groan. Ayn and Vikna both hear it and turn towards you.

“Sweetie, do you know what that means?” Ayn asks.

“I-it's Arabic.” You tell her. “If I remember correctly, it has to do with saving people or something.”

“Fitting.” She says, turning back to the dog. “I understand you being scared and thank you for not shooting us on sight, but it was very naughty of you to keep staring while I was changing~.”

“I'm sorry, you're both so pretty and, well, I haven't seen a girl who wasn't in robes in over a month. Technology is forbidden in this group, so I haven't been on-”

“Oh, you poor thing. After this battle, I'll make sure to treat you right.” She tells him. “Vikna, how many sinths do you have on board?”

“W-what?” She asks, blushing a bit. “I have a few mandatory ones for the crew, but I-”

“How many?” Ayn asks, much more stern with her words.

“T-twenty four female forms.” She says covering her face. “Oh my god this is so embarrassing.”

You hear voices coming back from the hallway before they begin shushing themselves, prompting you to take aim at the door. You look over to Ayn and nod. She takes the hint, clearing her throat.

“Sawf nunqadhuk, come inside and we'll keep you safe!” She yells.

You hear multiple footsteps walking towards the door and steel yourself. However, everyone who enters is dressed in civilian clothing, holding their weapons high above their heads.

“We surrender! We were the forward line and we surrender!” An actual red colored fox tells you. “The ones behind us are not so friendly though. Please, we will help fight them off if-”

“That won't be necessary. Just stay down and you'll be just fine.” You interrupt, giving them the signal to part.

“They're coming!” A skunk tells you as it rushes into the bridge. “We are all goners!”

You keep the sights on the door and hear footsteps coming towards the door before a man steps in front of the door.

“Kill them all!” He shouts.

You put 2 shots into his chest and he falls down, having been shot in the lung and heart. He gasps desperately as the life from him drains along with his blood and spinal fluid. You put a third shot into his head, silencing him and looking back out the door. Ayn then attempts to say something.

“Jack, he was-”

“Don't.” Vikna interrupts. “He was doing him a kindness by killing him quickly.”

You hear 2 more sets of footsteps moving down the hall as Ayn readies herself by the door, but you wave her away. These men were not to be captured, but killed. The footsteps reach the door and the two men step inside, beginning to fire on the group. Ayn throws herself in front of them, taking the hits while you fire on the right one first. Three shots and he's down before you put 2 into the torso of the left one. They paid you no attention, as killing you must not have been their goal.

“That was all of them! We're safe!” The dog shouts.

“Wait, that's all?” You ask, continuing to watch the door. “I thought you said we had a platoon sized element coming for us VST.”

“I said we had a platoon sized element boarding us. We have been boarded and what is left of the platoon is all in here.” She tells you. “Everyone else has been killed by you or the crew.”

“How many men are in here?” You ask.

“We are 25 strong.” The dog tells you. “Thank you for saving us.”

“Are there any more civilians that aren't accounted for here?” You ask him.

He looks around, counting off the people there and double checking before shaking his head.

“All 25 of us are here.” He tells you. “The other 20 went around the ship to take various parts of it over, but we underestimated your, uh, master at arms and crew in general.”

“Ayn, how you doing?” You ask, noticing she took quite a few hits to the armor.

“I think I'm fine. Good enough to deliver on my promise at least.” She says with a grunt, throwing the helmet from her head.

The helmet rolls towards you and there's a large spider web crack along the entire visor. She was shot in the face and didn't even move? She really did care for the civilians. She gets up off the ground and grits her teeth, feeling her torso before hearing the sound of ceramic scraping together.

“Your plating's compromised.” You tell her. “Can you contact your father and-”

“No, I have something I promised to do.” She tells you. “Come on, uh, what's your name?”

“Habazinia.” He tells her, smiling brightly at her. “My name is Habazinia.”

“Okay Habibi, let's go relax in the crew quarters, the fighting is over for now.” She tells him, bringing him out of the crowd. “As for all of you, we seem to have just enough sinths for all of you to have some fun as well. You all deserve it.”

They all chatter excitedly as Ayn leads them from the bridge, staff in hand as if she's leading them to the promised land. Promised land of pussy, that is. Once Ayn leaves, you sit down on the floor, breathing a sigh of relief. You thought you were going to have to kill civilian fanatics, but they weren't as fanatic as the Taliban and ISIS fighters you fought in Afghanistan.

“What's wrong?” Vikna asks, having made her way towards you while you were in thought.

“I thought I was going to have to kill civilians again.” You tell her.

“Do you want to talk about it?” She asks, her usual mean demeanor replaced with sympathy now that Ayn is gone.

“I...maybe later.” You tell her. “For now, let's try to contact Sabir again.”

“Jeez, you know about king Sabir too?” She asks.

“A lot more than I wish to know.” You say, shuddering as you remember the art you had to dig through. “Not my place to judge what people do in their free time, but...nevermind.”

“I...do I want to know?” She asks.

“You really don't.” You reply. “I'd rather not...cause more issues than I already have.”

You almost slip up and tell her it was Ayn, but you manage to catch yourself just in time. When you feel you're ready, you get off the floor and stand. Vikna pulls up a communication link with Sabir and he answers immediately.

“Sweetheart, are all the ships gone yet?” He asks before realizing it's Vikna. “Oh, I'm sorry Kavkor. Is my daughter still safe down there?”

“Yes, your majesty. We've repelled the boarders and successfully taken back The Towers orbital platform.” She tells him.

“Boarders?!” He asks, obviously distraught. “Is she okay?!”

“She took a couple of shots, but she was wearing armor. She's completely fine.” Vikna replies. “You can thank Staff Sergeant Haigs here for that. He was the only one here who had the weaponry to take on the attackers.”

What? Vikna had a weapon too, but she didn't even bother firing. Whatever, time to get pleasantries out of the way. You step beside Vikna and Sabir looks confused before his eyes widen in surprise.

“You're that man who raised that flag on Katric? Aren't you?” He asks. “It's been all over the news.”

“Yeah, that was me.” You say, rubbing your hand behind your back.

“You have my thanks for saving my daughter. However, my wife will be, how should I put this, less understanding?” He asks.

“Doesn't bother me.” You tell him. “I'm used to being treated like shit.”

“I'm guessing the reason my daughter isn't there is because she's having, uh, fun with the crew?” He asks.

“Not the crew, so much as captured civilians who we've found and freed from the terrorists.” You reply. “Poor guys haven't seen a naked woman in over a month, with technology being banned and all.”

“That does sound rough. Well, I shall leave you to it. Thank you for the help and we shall see you soon.” He tells you. “Stay safe.”

The transmission cuts out and Vikna pokes your side hard. You grab at your side and look over at her, seeing she's not amused by what you said.

“What?” You ask. “Her red eyes don't scare me. That's the only notable thing I've noticed about her, other than the fact that she's a huge slut on a whole other level to Ayn.”

“She is?!” Vikna asks.

You nod with a sly grin on your face.

“Never gives Sabir the time of day. The only reason they're together is to keep up appearances and nothing more.” You tell her. “Don't go spouting off about this. I don't even think Ayn knows about the extent of her adultery.”

“Alright, just, you know, don't go telling anyone else either.” She tells you.

After she says that, you both look around the room, avoiding each others gaze as the awkward silence drives you both mad. You both decide to sit down, with Vikna sitting in her Captain's chair and you taking a seat in an unfilled position near the window, which had been untinted earlier. Vikna begins pulling up holographic interfaces, looking at them to bide time as you look out at the destruction you wrought.

You hear the clicking of metal on metal as someone makes their way towards you, sitting down beside you when they reach you. The ships that were not blown to bits were falling back from The Tower, well out of range to do anything with their guns or missiles. It was a beautiful in a sort of morbid sense of the word. All you can hope is that those people had quick and painless deaths, or got out of the ship alive.

“Do you think there were any civilians aboard those ships?” A familiar voice asks.

You turn to your left and see Fluff sitting next to you, a somber look in his eyes.

“I don't know.” You tell him. “I really don't want to know.”

“For some reason, I can't see anything in this universe anymore. My mind won't let me draw anything relating to here and anything I manage to draw doesn't effect anything. It's like my own universe is rejecting me.” He tells you, putting his head on the console and squishing his plumage as he does. “I feel powerless. I want to know what happened to those people.”

You look over and see VST begin a scan, but you snap your fingers, getting her attention. You put a flat hand to your neck, shaking your head and hand, telling her not to do it.

“It's a question that should remain unanswered.” You tell him. “Knowing that I am directly responsible for so much death already hurts me in ways I can't even describe. I don't want to even think about how many of those deaths might have been civilian casualties.”

“Really? You carried yourself so well in that situation.” He tells you.

“I didn't think about whether or not they were using civilians as crew.” You tell him. “I wasn't even putting those two thoughts together until you brought it up.”

“Oh, sorry about that.” He says, looking even more dejected.

“You know somebody else is gonna have to pull the trigger on those missiles, right?” You ask. “That blockade is going nowhere unless we can get some ships in the air, so we need to make a window for the fleet to get to orbit.”

“Yeah, I realize that.” He replies.

The long silence that follows is hell on you, as you look around the room and see Vikna checking crew manifests. You check to your right and see all the core AI doing their thing, with the exception of ARA. She's watching both of you as she sits with her hands folded in her lap. When you catch her eye, she smiles brightly at you with closed eyes and a little wave. You turn back and see Fluff continuing to lay on the console, resting his head on his hands now.

You want to say something, but you don't know what to say. You never were good with words and probably never will be. You're wracking your brain to think of something to break the silence. Something, anything. Even talking about the weather would be preferable to this deafening silence.

“I'm sorry.” He tells you, grabbing your attention.

“Sorry?” You ask. “For what?”

“For a lot of things.” He tells you. “I remember how angry you were that I disregarded your advice a year ago about meddling with things I don't understand. I'm regretting it now.”

“When did I say that?” You ask.

“Oh, uh, nevermind.” He says, looking to the side. “I wouldn't worry about it.”

You nod, not in the mood for a mystery right now. You both sit there for a while, thinking about what to talk about next. You look over to ARA, who's just listening in on the conversation. You didn't mind, as you never cared if people listened in on you.

“You know, my friends came up with a theory as to why all my girls showed up at your house in particular.” He says, breaking the silence.

“What's that?” You ask, turning back towards him.

“You wanted them more.” He tells you. “It seems that the people who wanted characters the most got them. You must not have wanted Nytro or Twix very bad, as they ended up with me along with Warning. The rest just didn't want to come through.”

“I just wanted real friends.” You tell him. “Jack died in a car accident and Bill shot himself when his wife left him. I had nobody for the longest time. I was actually going to shoot myself too if nobody had came to visit me. I just couldn't take the loneliness anymore. I know it looks like it, but I'm not one to resort to suicide if something small goes wrong.”

“Oh?” Fluff asks.

“Well, I tried dating women, going out and working, going to bars, even trying to meet up with some of my friends on internet, but it always fell through. I was so lonely and it hurt so bad. Then Vikna and ARA came to my house and started pillaging my kitchen since they thought nobody was home. You have no idea how happy it made me to have someone over.” You tell him, smiling as you remember how they reacted to you.

“How were they?” He asks, looking back at Vikna.

“Vikna was, well, sketchy.” You tell him.

“H-hey!” She yells to you. “I'm not sketchy!”

“You threatened to slit my throat because I was a 'fat, creepy, mental defective who looked like I played too many video games' if my memory serves me right.” You retort. “Saying you should just kill me and finish what my heart was starting. Pretty sketchy stuff if you ask me.”

“W-well, I said I was sorry, didn't I?” She asks.

“Anyways, I fell asleep that night and had the dream I always told you about. I was so afraid that night.” You tell him, turning back to face Fluff. “I woke up and started screaming, not wanting to give in and kill myself while I still had friends who needed me. Ayn picked me up off the chair and gave me a hug, and, well, you know what she did after that.”

“What about Zofie?” Fluff asks.

“God, she's such a sweetheart. Taught her how to play guitar and she cooked me stuff that wasn't fast food or snack foods. I did my damnedest to make sure she stayed pure, if not for me, then for everyone else.” You tell him.

Fluff blushes, remembering that he did indeed ruin her innocence with a drawing.

“Hey, she told me she never did it with Nytro, you know, outside of that 69 she did.” You say, looking away. “I only fucked her because I had no other real choice.”

“Well, uh, I'm glad you did your best. Is there anything else I should know about?” He asks, looking over in ARAs direction.

“After all these years, you still think I'd do that?” You ask, looking over at him. “I'm offended.”

He nods and lays his head back down on the console and stares out into the blackness of space, fires raging as the fuel inside the ships burn. You lean back in the chair and it groans in protest before tilting back and allowing you to recline. You take a deep breath and sigh before looking back over at Fluff.

“Over sixty.” You tell him.

“What?” He asks.

“You asked me how many I killed.” You tell him. “I've killed over sixty. I stopped counting after that.”

“Holy shit...” He says. “You've killed that many Taliban?”

“Not all of them were enemies...” You say, looking back out in space.

Fluff doesn't respond and you look back at the door, wondering what Ayn is doing to those men. Hopefully she's not hurting the poor guy. You turn back to the console and follow Fluff's example, laying your head down on it and beginning to think. Thinking is a dangerous thing for you, since your dad always told you that idle hands are the devils playthings, but an idle mind is where the devil resides. You thought about all the lives you've destroyed, all the families you've divided, including your own, and all the friends you've lost. You feel a tear leave your eye before you shake away the sadness, as there was no time to be sad. However, your sadness would be replaced by flashbacks to your first kills.

You're sitting in a little sandbag fortification that you decided to make for night watch. You were much better at pulling night watch than your fellow Marines, as you've gone on night hikes and are able to identify movement in the dark better than most. The one who was better at it than you, was Bill. He said he could pick out a hadji silhouette from almost 200 yards, and he proved it time and time again. You had been in country for only a month now, having not been able to prove your worth since coming to assist the 'training' ops you all took the locals on. That's when Bill spotted his first target.

“Movement about 300 meters down hill.” He says, looking through binoculars into the moonlit valley. “Got eyes?”

“I got eyes.” You whisper back, flicking the safety off as silently as you could, not that he could hear you anyways. “ID on him?”

“He has an AK and is dressed in robes. I'm guessing he's an insurgent.” Bill replies, keeping the binos on the hadji fuck.

“Should I engage?” You ask, slightly apprehensive about shooting at first.

“It's up to you.” He replies quietly.

Just as he says that, Bill tenses up and you take a look through your scope. You see the figure clear as day, pointing at you before beginning to shout in his goat fucker language.

“We're spotted!” Bill whispers loudly. “Take the shot Marine!”

You squeeze the trigger and pull the stock into a steady position and let a burst of 7.62 erupt from your gun.

RATATATATAT

The burst fells the man and subsequently gives away your position. After this burst, flashes erupt from the valley and begin impact to the side of you. Bill returns fire with his M16 and you begin to throw bursts of fire at the enemy flashes. This was now a fight for survival. The rest of your squad is woken up by this and begins getting to their own predefined defensive positions, returning fire and being largely ineffective in the night hours.

You line up your sights with another flash of light and blanket the area with lead, hearing a pained scream over the gunfire.

“I got another!” You yell. “2 down!”

“Keep the fire up Haigs!” Your squad daddy tells you, continuing to rain lead down on the poor guys.

After a prolonged firefight, the fire eventually stops coming in, giving everyone a bit of reprieve as your radio operator reported back to the FOB.

“I got 2!” You yell excitedly. “I got em! I...killed two...”

“Yes, you did Haigs. Good work.” Your squad leader tells you.

“I-I killed two people sarge, I-I killed them.” You tell him, the realization dawning on you. “I took them down...”

“Yes, you did.” He says, now giving you his full attention.

“Th-they're dead...” You say, looking down at your MG. “I...”

“Jack?” He asks. “You okay buddy?”

“He's dead and I-”

“Jack!” He yells.

You're snapped back to reality and feel a feathered hand on your shoulder with another on your holster, looking off to your left and seeing Fluff with a worried look on his face. He smiles once he realizes you're back.

“What?” You ask, taking his hand off your holster. “What happened?”

“You were talking to yourself.” He replies.

“What'd I say?” You ask. “How much did I say?”

“You killed 2 men. You just started rambling and going for your gun. I thought you were gonna pop yourself in the head.” He tells you. “Scared me half to death.”

You nod and look him over, seeing he had on a fairly bland grey shirt and pants. They were accented by white sides and a black line running around the collar. It had short sleeves that were colored white as the sleeves were also accented by a black line running around the edge. He had a belt on, but you see he has no weapon on the belt. Surely someone as high profile as god himself would carry a gun around, especially since he was losing control of his universe.

“Uh, what are you looking at?” Fluff asks, blushing lightly.

“Where's your weapon?” You ask in return.

“I, uh, forgot it planet side.” He tells you. “The armory was empty and I'm not carrying around a rifle.”

You smile, grabbing the holster from your left hand side and detaching it. You hand it to Fluff and he smiles awkwardly.

“Keep this on you until we get planet side.” You tell him. “It's my dad's .32, not going to do much against any armor plating but it'll do the trick against regular clothing.”

You grab some speed loaders, handing them to him as he shoves them in his pocket. He takes the gun out of the holster and sweeps you with it, causing you to duck.

“Watch the muzzle!” You yell, holding your helmet tight and looking down. “Jesus I don't need you fucking killing me!”

“Sorry.” He tells you. “I think I lost my touch with guns too.”

“Vikna, is there a firing range aboard this ship?” You ask. “I gotta teach god how to shoot a gun.”

“Yes, there's one on the deck 12. Go nuts.” She says, continuing to look through a holographic list. “There's stuff I need to do.”

You nod and get up, eager to get your mind off the flashback you just went through. You've never seen a space range before, so you're eager to check it out.

3 hours later

You walk back to the bridge just in time to see the Sianian cruiser warp in. It was extremely ornate, boasting red and brown accents along with the blue that you had come to know as the current 'in' color. Ayn enters the room, after glow and after smell still prevalent on her. She sees the ship in the window and her mood immediately sours. You can barely make out a flash come from the side of the ship as a speck moves through the debris of another, less intact ship. When what appears to be a shuttle comes into view, Ayn groans with displeasure.

“Blue guard?” You ask.

“Blue guard.” She replies.

Just as you both say that, a hail comes from the ship and Vikna answers the call. Sabir is accompanied by two figures wearing ornate helmets with clear glass where the usual jackal sculpture would be.

“New blue guard?” You ask.

“Helmets were too claustrophobic and didn't offer enough visibility. I took the liberty of designing them myself.” Sabir replies. “After Ayn threw a little tantrum and abused the helmet's limited visibility.”

Ayn just rolls her eyes and smirks at the hologram of her father.

“I know who's not getting his father's day gift this week.” She says. “Well, at least not the entire thing.”

“Oh, sweetheart, you know I mean well. It's for your protection, not your imprisonment.” He tells her.

“Is that why they all have strength enhancing augments and agility upgrades?” She asks. “Seems an awful lot like you're creating the perfect prison guards.”

“We'll talk about this later. Just wait for the shuttle. Oh, and your human friend is coming too. Your mother ordered it.” He says. “If he resists, he'll be forced. Unlike you, I doubt he'll stand a chance if he decides to try and run.”

“Why would I resist? A chance to see a new planet is always welcome.” You tell him with a smile. “As long as you don't lock me in the tower of Babylon, I'll be fine.”

Fluff chuckles at that and you smile, glad to have someone around who gets your jokes. The transmission cuts off and you hear a small thunk, prompting you to turn to Fluff.

“Hey, make sure that those nukes aren't fired towards Katric. Those jets of plasma are a lot of things but safe isn't one of them. They'll also punch straight through a building if it's not stopped by a ship.” You tell him. “Be aware of your surroundings when you fire that nuclear spear, understand?”

“Yes, sir.” He says, saluting you.

“I'm no sir, I work for a living.” You tell him with a smile.

You see the blue guard arrive through the bridge door, accompanied by King Sabir and the two blue guard. The light seems to gleam off the gold plating on both of them, the blue crystals only adding to the royal look they present. However, you notice that the one on the left seems to gleam a bit less than the one on the right. Might just be the lighting inside here, but it catches your eye. You walk towards the group as Ayn pulls her dad into a hug, the rotund man hugging his daughter back immediately.

“I missed you sweetie.” He tells her. “We've all missed you.”

His accent puts you at ease, as he reminds you of the village elder of a mountain village you had been deployed at for a while. The elder was a cool guy and always talked with you about life and man stuff. The blue guard stand rigid, spears at the ready as you feel them track you towards Ayn. As soon as you get too close, they both react and get in your way, blocking you from interacting with either of them.

“Boys, let the man through.” Ayn tells the two. “He's not going to hurt us.”

The right one nods and gets out of your way, but the left one stays in the way.

“I said he may pass.” She repeats, pushing him aside.

Sabir looks your way and smiles warmly, outstretching his hand. You take his hand in your own and shake hands, pulling back afterwards.

“My name is Sabir Miyur, king of the Sianian Queendom. We rule over most of Siania with an iron fist.” He says jokingly, making a fist before chuckling. “I'm kidding of course. We're fair enough.”

Ayn snickers at that and her father sighs, waving both of you along. You follow Sabir down the twisting halls of the ship, surprised that they got to the bridge so quickly at this pace. When you all make it to the shuttle, you turn around to look at your 'escort' again in the better lighting of the shuttle. The armor of the one closest to Ayn was indeed very shiny, however the one closest to you was not so much.

“Your majesty-”

“Sabir is fine. I'm not like my wife.” He interrupts.

“Well, what do you think of Thing 2's armor here? How long do you think it's been since he's cleaned it?” You ask.

The jackal looks at you, and you look back at Ayn, who's also looking the man over.

“I think it hasn't been polished in over a week, maybe 2 at the most.” He tells you. “Do you take no pride in your work Lev'kai?”

He gets on the ground and takes a knee, resting his arm on his spear as he begins to beg for forgiveness.

“Your highness, I take pride in my work, it's just that-”

“A soldier like you doesn't have any excuse for something so offensive. Get off the floor and stand.” You tell him, your inner NCO beginning to bare it's sharp and nasty fangs.

“I don't take orders from foreign legions.” He tells you.

“No, the man is right. Get off the floor and present yourself to me.” Sabir says as you move out of his way.

He begins checking the armor over, Ayn looking at her fathers ass as she licks her chops. You elbow her lightly and she looks over at you as you mouth the word 'later' to her. Her eyes go wide, having thought you didn't know. She mouths 'told anyone' to you and you shake your head no. She sighs in relief and looks back at the two, prompting you to look as well.

“This armor looks like it was dropped on the floor and dragged along it! What the hell do you do in your spare time? You have plenty of time to go polish your armor between retrieving my daughter and sitting with your claws up your ass!” He says, angry with the state of his guard. “I should have you locked up for sullying the name of the Queendom!”

Then, your hair raises up on the back of your neck. Cogs begin turning in your head that you had thought long gone. You feel something is wrong with this whole situation. All you wanted to do was get away. Turn and run.

“Sabir, step back from him.” You tell him. “Step back now.”

He looks over to you and his eyes raise, concerned. He backs away from the man and you slide yourself between him and the guard. He begins to shift his weight around, his tail hanging limp behind him as you bet he's trying to hide his emotions. This unnerves you and your lapse of concentration allows your inner NCO to take over.

“Take your helmet off soldier.” You order. “Now.”

“I don't-”

“That was not a request.” You tell him. “Take off the god damn helmet.”

“You will not order me around like some lowly infantry man!” He yells.

You draw your pistol from your holster and plant it firmly in the weakest link of his armor, the under arm.

“You will do as you're told soldier or I will fucking shoot you for treason!” You shout. “Take the fucking helmet off you god damn mutt!”

The jackal doesn't even attempt to retaliate, instead putting his hands up. This gives you all the evidence you need.

“You're a fucking traitor, aren't you?” You ask. “A real blue guard would've done something by now. You're like a spy trying too hard to blend in.”

“W-what?!” He asks, slowly lowering his arms..

“You move a god damn muscle and I'll blow your heart out of the other side of your rib cage.” You threaten. “I knew the second you put your hands up that you were a god damn traitor. If you were a real blue guard, you would've known that your death would leave me with only one more man to go. Then I'd have some of the most powerful bargaining chips in the entire galaxy sitting in the palm of my hand.”

“Y-you-”

“I'm not finished yet you waste of precious fucking oxygen!” You yell. “No soldier worth his salt EVER lets his uniform go into such disrepair, especially an honor guard like Thing 1 over there. I'd think Sabir was right on the armor being dragged across the floor, because you killed the previous wearer!”

“Shut up you American dog! He warned us of someone like you! I am not afraid of death, praise god and deliver me to the great beyond!” He yells. “ALLAH-”

You pull the trigger before he can finish, a loud bang echoing throughout the shuttle as blood splatters onto the sidewall. Gurgling is heard as air escapes his lungs through the freshly punched hole as he collapses to the ground in pain. You forcefully remove the helmet and see it's not a jackal at all, but a coyote of some kind.

“He was a traitor!” Sabir yells. “No blue guard are allowed to be anything other than jackals from noble families!”

He continues to gurgle on the ground and you grit your teeth, hearing them grind together as your anger boils over. You get down on the ground and pull him up, flipping him away from you before grabbing his snout. You grab his shoulder and pull back on the snout as hard as you can, snapping his neck and killing him instantly. You let the dead body drop to the floor and look down at your clothing, which is now soaked in blood. Now you'd have to eat your own words.

You look up at Ayn and she's being protected by the blue guard, who has his spear pointed at you and charged with electricity. You look back to the dead body and spit on him. Fucking hadji scum wasn't worth the second bullet. You sit down in one of the seats, holstering your weapon and laying back in the seat.

“Why did you snap his neck?” Sabir asks.

“Bleeding out and choking to death are some of the worst ways to die.” You tell him.

“How'd you know?” He asks.

“His armor was disgraceful, he didn't try to take my weapons when we boarded the shuttle, and he surrendered as most good spies do. It helps avoid suspicion and pulls people to their side.” You tell him. “Sorry about the mess by the way. I'll clean it up when we dock.”

“No, that'll be fine. One of the servants can deal with the mess.” He tells you. “However, I think killing him was a bit, uh, overkill.”

“Kill no capture.” You say under your breath.

“What?” Ayn asks.

“Nothing.” You tell her. “It's nothing.”

You feel a heavy clunk as the shuttle presumably docks to the decorative ship. Ayn moving towards the entrance confirms this, as she is followed by Sabir and the remaining blue guard. The body on the ground continues to bleed as you get up from your seat.

30 minutes later

You were given some temporary clothing while the ship board servants washed your BDUs off. You told them not to use a washing machine, as it would fade the camouflage pattern and make the uniform worthless, so hand washing was in order. The clothes you were given were some very comfortable grey robes, which were considered middle or high class wear here. They had an uncomfortably large hole where your underwear were visible, so you had to sew it shut with some tacky looking threads. Ayn said the robes were made of silk, which it definitely felt like as you sat at a table with her and Sabir. Ayn tried to get something more comfortable, but her father said customs didn't allow for guests to wear the royal linens she offered.

Sabir had called you to a table for discussion of 'various things' as he called it. He had asked if you wanted anything and you nodded, asking for strong alcohol. He just laughed and shook his head, offering wine in its place. You rejected the offer, hating the taste of wine and how long it took you to get buzzed.

“Well, how about we start off with how my daughter has been treating you. Have you been nice to the young man?” He asks her.

“Very~.” She says, putting a hand on your shoulder before chuckling. “This guy used to be just shy of 6 feet tall. Now he's as big as me thanks to my enchantment running wild. Honestly thought he was going to die when my magic started to go haywire.”

You shudder a bit at that, not knowing that she could've killed you with it.

“Next question is for you Staff Sergeant. Who are you?” He asks.

“I'm Staff Sergeant Jackson H. Haigs of the United States Marine Corps. I served in Afghanistan for one and a half years alongside Iran for one tour and am currently a Marine reservist. I am 27 years old and have been alone for almost three years before I met your daughter.” You tell him.

“What's a 'United States Marine Corps'?” He asks. “Is that some kind of military name?”

“The United States is my country, sir. The Marine Corps is the branch of the military I served in. Land and sea warfare, though I was mostly involved in desert operations.” You tell him.

“So you're like a special forces soldier?” He asks.

“No, far from it.” You say with a nervous chuckle. “You give me too much credit.”

“What about this Afghanistan place?” He asks. “What is that? Another country?”

“Yeah, it's a terrible place. It's got deserts, mountains, forests, rivers, and towns scattered all over the place.” You tell him.

“What about Iran? What is that place like?” He asks.

“More of the same.” You reply. “Only difference being that they had actual cities that weren't complete shit.”

“That sounds a lot like Siania. Why would this Afghanistan be such a terrible place if it sounds so beautiful?” He asks.

“The people.” You say through grit teeth. “Those people are savages.”

“Oh?” He asks.

“They hate everything about America. The way we speak, the way we look, the way we act, and the way we try to help everyone. They are despicable people and I hate almost every single one.” You tell him. “I don't know about how taboo it is here, but their religion gives them the okay to have intercourse with goats.”

“What's so wrong with that?” He asks.

“FERAL goats.” You correct.

“Oh...I see.” He says, grabbing his wine glass and taking a large swig from it.

“This doesn't even begin to describe what it tells men to do to women. Any woman who disobeys a man is beaten and publicly shamed. If a woman is caught without her entire body being covered, she is stoned to death by flash mobs.” You tell them, beginning to increase in volume as you get more and more angry. “They throw gays off of buildings, burn books that go against their ideals, and murder girls who try to attend school!”

“Oh god...” Ayn says.

“They have a prophet who has fucked children, told people that it's okay to fuck feral animals, and told people it's okay to kill anyone who disagrees with them! Anyone who draws a picture of this prophet is to be killed and if you damage their holy book they'll stab you in the back!” You shout, beginning to shake with rage. “They throw rocks at passing American patrols, send women and children to bomb tank formations, and shoot anyone who collaborates with us! These aren't people, THEY'RE FUCKING ANIMALS!”

You slam your fist down on the table and take deep breaths, trying to calm yourself down. Only a few dared to be different in that cultural sink hole and they were always killed first.

“Is that why you killed that man?” Ayn asks.

“Yes.” You say, gritting your teeth. “I hate them and everything they stand for. It's morally repugnant and they don't deserve the mercy of being held in jail for the rest of their life.”

“You do realize that man was speaking Sianian, right?” Sabir asks, backing away a bit.

You nod, sighing deeply as you lean back in the seat.

“You're not Arabs, Sabir. You're your own people. Unless I learn that you murder children in your basement for daring to want an education, I am perfectly okay with all of you. You're no different to me than any other person I've met, outside of you being royalty, of course.” You tell him.

“Ah, I see. I shall stay away from the topic from now on. I see it's quite touchy.” He says, drinking the rest of his wine. “Anyways, how have you been getting used to life here? I've heard that life on Earth is very primitive.”

“Everything's really flashy and blue.” You tell him.

“It's a style thing. I don't know much about it, but my wife does. Not that she'll answer anything like that.” He tells you. “So, what's this about being alone? Why'd you mention it?”

“Oh, uh, it was sort of autonomous.” You say awkwardly. “I don't mean anything by it, It's just become something I tell people now. I feel like I just messed with the vibe of the room a bit now.”

“No, you're fine. I used to tell people I was a dancer when they asked who I was. Then it got really awkward when I explained what kind.” Ayn says, comforting you a bit.

As she finishes, you hear clicking on the floor of the ship, indicating someone has entered.

“Your clothes mister Staff Ser-WHOA!” The feline yells before tripping.

She drops your clothes and falls to the floor with a thud as you get out of your seat, seeing if she's okay.

“Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry my king, I should be ashamed of myself!” The servant girl says, turning her fall into a bow as her tail sticks straight up.

“Miss, are you okay?” You ask, picking your clothes up off the floor.

“W-what?” She asks, looking up.

“Are you hurt? You took a pretty nasty nose dive into the floor there.” You tell her with a smile.

“I-I think I'm fine.” She tells you, getting on her knees and looking to the floor. “I hope you don't mind me bothering you with this incident.”

“Hey, these clothes have been shot, ripped, stained with all kinds of nastiness, and sewn back up so many times I've lost count.” You lie. “It's okay for them to hit a floor as clean as this. Do you have a name?”

“Sh-Shana.” She tells you. “My name is Shana.”

“Are you hungry Shana?” You ask, looking at her arms and seeing she must not eat much.

“I-I think...I don't think I should eat here...” She replies uncertainly.

“I asked if you were hungry, not if you should eat with us.” You tell her, putting a hand on her shoulder.

“Yes, I am hungry.” She says with a smile.

“Well I'll ask for something to eat.” You tell her. “What would you like?”

“I-I don't know.” She tells you. “A sandwich maybe?”

“I can make you one of those.” You tell her. “Just sit down and I'll make you something to eat. You look like you haven't eaten in days.”

She smiles at that, sitting down at the table as you make your way towards what you found out was a fridge. You grab some meats that you assume are fresh instead of synthesized. You bring the meat over to the counter with some cheese and synthesize some bread, putting the ingredients inside the bread when it finally drops from the machine. You plate the sandwich and bring it back to the table, where the servant girl is blushing madly.

“T-thank you.” She tells you as you set the sandwich out for her.

“Well, you're the one who cleaned my clothes, right?” You ask.

“Y-yes, I washed them in the sink like you asked.” She replies.

“It's only fair to repay a kindness with kindness.” You tell her. “I honestly wish I knew how to make something more, but all my cook books are at home.”

She takes a bite of the sandwich and her ears perk up, her tail moving around excitedly as she chews. When she swallows it, Shana gives you a big smile.

“I'm just a lowly servant. I do not deserve this, but you are being kind to me anyways.” She tells you. “May I ask why you're being so kind? If it is because you want me, you could've just said so and I would've done my best to please you.”

“No, that's not it. Where I come from, kindness is repaid with kindness. Not everyone adheres to it, but I never let a kindness go unanswered.” You tell her with a smile. “There's nothing malicious behind my kindness, just that I want to repay you.”

She just looks up at you, unable to think of what to say. She sets down her sandwich and pulls you into a hug, having a surprising amount of strength for arms as thin as hers. You return it with a smile and rub her back gently, feeling her let go of you. You let go and she smiles, continuing to eat the sandwich before finishing it.

“You have made my day mister Staff Sergeant.” She tells you.

“Please, just call me Jack.” You tell her.

“Well, thank you Jack. I appreciate what you've done for me and will never forget you.” She says.

“You're very welcome. Now go on about the rest of your day.” You tell her. “Wouldn't want to keep anyone waiting, right?”

“Yes, I should be going!” She tells you, getting up from the seat. “Thank you once again! Bye!”

She rushes out of the room and back down the hall and you watch the door for a bit, making sure she doesn't need anything else before turning back around. You see a very confused looking Sabir and Ayn smiling brightly, causing you to turn away.

“I hope I didn't break any laws.” You tell them.

“I'm just confused why someone would go out of their way to help a lowly servant. I'm not one to punish people for mistakes like that, but it confuses me why you offered her food.” He says, scratching his head. “Especially when you were so angry before this.”

“I know exactly why.” Ayn says with an uncharacteristically wide smile. “You joined the military to help people, didn't you?”

You nod, scratching behind your neck and smiling awkwardly.

“T-that was a large part, yes.” You tell her, failing to mention the second reason.

“I heard from Twix that you used to give out candy to the children there too. Is that true?” She asks.

“Yeah, they loved it when the Americans would come. We'd hand out candy that we didn't want from our rations and the kids would give us toilet paper and baby wipes.” You reply.

“That's so sweet.” She tells you.

“Ah, so it's like a trade?” Sabir asks.

“In a way, yeah.” You tell him.

Ayn doesn't seem content with that, but stays her tongue. You continue to talk about random things as the ship travels towards its destination.

3 hours later

You make it to Ayn's quarters, waiting by the door for her to open it up.

“Maybe it was...no, that's wrong.” She says, trying to remember the password. “Do you know what my password was?”

“I, don't know for sure. Let me take a crack at it.” You tell her.

She nods, giving way to you. Maybe it was slut? The machine beeps and you try sloot. That one fails as well. Nytro maybe? No, that failed as well.

“What about this one?” You ask under your breath.

You type in Ark Sykran and the door gives you a green light, opening the door to her room.

“What was it?” She asks, looking over your shoulder.

“Do you know Nytro's full name?” You ask.

“No, he never tells anyone.” She replies.

“Then I need to change the password.” You say, waving her inside. “I'll only be a few minutes.”

She sighs and walks inside, displeased with not knowing Nytros full name. You delete the password and put 2552 in its place. When you do that, you make it inside Ayn's room and set your bag down, taking off your armor and helmet before setting them beside the bag. Ayn sits down on the bed facing the window, looking out the porthole and smiling.

“I heard your first time in space was with ARA.” She tells you. “How was it?”

“I loved it. It was my dream to go to space and an even bigger dream to go on a space walk.” You reply, sitting down in an eggshell shaped chair. “Had to keep ARA from floating off into space though.”

“Again?” She asks.

“Yeah, again. She remembered the harness, but forgot to use a strong enough tether.” You tell her.

“Sounds like her. She experiences a lot of faults at the worst times possible.” She says.

You both sit down for a while, just looking out the port hole as the stars pass by. Ayn shoots you quick glances, smirking when she sees you looking back. She was a very pretty girl, as Fluff made her to be. You'd expect nothing less from the physical embodiment of the goddess of lust and fertility. You look back to the porthole and watch as the stars pass by, being mesmerized by the sight. Streaks of light shooting past the window made you feel like you were in hyperspace.

“Hey.” Ayn says, grabbing your attention.

You look over at her and see her giving you a very serious face.

“Hmm?” You ask, intrigued by her seriousness.

“I need to talk to you.” She says. “Come here.”

You get up off the chair, walking over to Ayn. When you reach her, you sit down beside her and she looks you in the eye. You look away and she grabs your face, pointing you towards her.

“Look at me.” She tells you. “When we get to Siania, you do not mouth off to my mother. She will have you killed on the spot. I don't want to lose another friend to her because she pushes their buttons.”

“Yes ma'am.” You say, nodding as best you could in Ayn's vice like grip. “Anything else?”

“Do not stray far from me. She'll have you thrown in a jail cell if you stray off the path to her throne room.” She continues. “Try to flatter her. Tell her you like her eyes, her fur coat is well kept, her voice is smooth and silky, that kind of thing. She loves to be praised like a goddess. You either bow or salute her. Do not just stand there like I will. She goes ballistic if you don't treat her like the queen of the Sianian Queendom.”

“Understood. What else?” You ask.

“Keep that uniform of yours clean. She can spot dirt and dust from a mile away. I know from experience.” Ayn replies. “Keep those rifles in my room. Do not bring them in the throne room or you will be shot on sight. I don't know what your armor is made of, but I doubt it will stop anti material lasers. You can keep a pistol on you, but you keep your hand off it at all times.”

“What else?” You ask, Ayn letting go of your face.

“Don't tell her about the Casaba thing. Nobody needs to know about that. Also, don't tell her you were alone for 3 years. I kind of cringed when you said it.” She tells you.

“Dammit, why does nobody ever tell me on the spot?!” You ask, beating yourself up over it now.

“Because it's bad form to do that. Anyways, keep your answers short and to the point. 3 sentences maximum. Do not clear your throat loudly, do not say 'um' if you can help it, and definitely do not call her Kesis. She is QUEEN Kesis.” She continues. “Don't let her take you to her room. Nobody ever comes out the same. If she tries to take you off to her room, let me talk her out of it. Don't say anything, just say you need to use the restroom or something.”

“Is that all?” You ask.

“No, you need to do whatever she says, no matter how embarrassing and ridiculous. If she says to take off your pants and underwear, you do that. If she tells you to scratch her back, you do it. Offer no resistance to her requests. Do not argue with her, no matter how much you want to. She will say many things that are against most people's constitutions, but you must agree with her.” She continues. “Most importantly, do not stare at her. She takes great offense to it and will kill you herself if you do it.”

“Anything else?” You ask.

“Yes. Take great care not to touch me. Mother pretends to care about me so she can send anyone who touches me off to prison. Peasants are not supposed to touch royalty.” She says. “That should be everything.”

“God damn. I can see why everyone is afraid of her.” You tell Ayn. “Little does she know that I'm not afraid to die.”

Ayn raises a hand and smacks you so hard you're thrown off the bed. You hit the floor hard, groaning when you roll onto your back.

“Don't talk like that after I just told you everything that will keep you alive!” Ayn yells. “I've lost five friends to her and I'm not losing a sixth!”

You get yourself off the floor and look at Ayn, who's now very angry with you. She lays back on the bed before sighing, looking away and turning towards the opposite wall.

“I'll wash my clothes off some more and prepare for tomorrow. You won't see me until then.” You tell her, walking to the door. “Sorry I said anything.”

You make it to the door and grab all your stuff, leaving Ayn alone as you walk down the corridor to the room Sabir had given you.

20 minutes later.

You spit the toothpaste out into the sink and sigh, looking over at your freshly washed uniform. There was still a bit of dust and blood on it, but you fixed it with haste. It was now completely clean and free of any nastiness. You weren't going to wear your armor in, so you washed your field cap as well as your belt. Your boots were washed as well, getting all the stains and mud out of them.

You wash your mouth out with water, spitting it out into the sink and wiping your face with a towel. You look in the mirror, which was surprisingly low tech. You see flashes of a dirty face with a cut running along your cheek and blink, backing away from the mirror. Right, that's still a thing. You take off your robes and underwear, putting the undies inside the sink and filling it up with water. You begin washing the underwear off as you kneed them against the sink. You wash the underwear off with hand soap, squeezing them and wringing them out before draining the water.

Once your underwear were washed, you take off your socks and toss them out of the bathroom, stepping into the shower and tapping the screen to turn the water on. You shiver as the cold water hits you before turning warm. You grab the shampoo and body wash from the shelf, uncapping the shampoo first and rubbing it into your hair. After that, you rinse the shampoo from your hair let your hair fall flat, needing to cut it after this.

You finish washing yourself and turn the drying ring on, allowing it to dry you off before stepping out of the shower. You grab an electric razor from your bag and flick the sheers out, turning it on and beginning to cut your curly hair. This goes on for almost 10 minutes, as you cut all of your hair down to about a quarter of an inch. You step back inside the shower and rinse your body off. After repeating the cycle of washing your hair and body, you turn the shower off and dry yourself again before stepping out.

When you get out of the shower, you fold up your robes and put them in the clothes chute, not needing them anymore. You step out into the bedroom, turning to the right and seeing a bunk bed by a porthole. Nobody else was in here, so you had the entire thing to yourself. You sit down in the lower bunk, sighing before pulling the blankets over you and falling asleep.

12 hours later.

You straighten out your cap and give a salute, having not looked this sharp since you last wore your dress uniform. You secure your pistol in its leather holster, having looped the strap down tight to discourage any pick pockets. You then flip the BDU shirt over the holster, only allowing the smallest portion of the holster to be visible. When you open the door, you see Ayn standing in front of it, looking down at the floor.

“Jack, I-”

“Don't apologize. I was being insensitive and needed to be smacked.” You tell her. “Sorry I said what I did.”

“O-oh.” Ayn says. “You're forgiven.”

She looks up and sees your uniform, smiling gently.

“You look nice.” She tells you.

“So do you.” You reply, seeing she's wearing a different dress this time. “We should probably get going. Your mother probably hates to be kept waiting.”

2 hours later

You do as you were told yesterday, keeping close to Ayn as she walks you towards the throne room. When you both stop in front of massive double doors, they open to reveal a red carpet and some potted plants lining the carpet every 10 or so feet. The plants themselves were like alien trees, but with purple and red leaves that seemed to be their natural shade. When you look up the red carpet, you see the queen atop her throne, holding her head up high and proud. Her black hair seemed to be an endless void and-

“Jack, come along now.” Ayn says, snapping you out of your stupor.

“Right.” You say, walking along the red carpet with her.

You hear the doors slam shut behind you and continue to look forward, keeping your eyes off of Kesis as you close in. When you both stop, you stand at attention, popping a crisp salute you had been practicing the whole morning.

“So, you're finally back from having intercourse with everything in sight?” She asks Ayn.

“Yes mother.” Ayn replies. “I see no harm in leaving for a few days every now and again to visit with our people.”

“You left for over a month before coming back, staying maybe two whole weeks before leaving again. I will not stand for it any longer. If you can not find entertainment in the room we constructed specifically for you, I don't think you have any hope of remaining loyal to anyone.” Kesis says, seeming to strike a nerve. “I bet you wouldn't be able to stay faithful to a husband even if you tried.”

You inhale sharply, but Ayn clears her throat before you can continue.

“Daughter, what have I told you about making that disgusting noise in front of me?” Kesis asks.

“I will not do it again, mother.” Ayn replies.

“What is this thing you have brought before me?” Kesis asks in a disgusted tone. “It looks hideous.”

“This is the soldier you wanted to see, mother. The one who protected me and raised the flag on-”

“Ah yes, I remember now. You're the primitive from another world. We've seen quite a few of them back home.” She says, confusing you by the statement she makes.

“Are you going to greet him, mother?” Ayn asks.

“Yes, I will greet him now. At ease, soldier.” Kesis tells you, prompting you to go to parade rest. “May I ask who you are?”

“I am Staff Sergeant Jackson H. Haigs of the US Marine Corps, ma'am.” You tell her, not letting your gaze wander.

“I am Queen Kesis Miyur the third, the ruler of this magnificent country.” She says in a pompous voice that drips with royalty. “Why do you think I have brought you before me?”

“I can only assume it's to bask in your glorious radiance, your majesty.” You tell her, not risking even a quick glance.

“Mmm, that was one part of it, but the other part was so that I could see the man who took care of my daughter on her little expedition.” She tells you, almost hearing the air quotes around 'expedition'. “Tell me now, how was she?”

“Second only to you, your royal highness.” You tell her, hoping Ayn would understand.

“I mean how was she in bed.” She says, annoyed you didn't take the hint.

“If you're asking whether or not we had sex, I can assure you that is not the case.” You tell her.

“I see. You seem to be the only man capable of resisting the allure of my daughter. She has a way of forcing herself on people that she shouldn't.” Kesis says with more than a hint of ire. “Unless, of course, you're lying.”

“Mother...” Ayn says, groaning.

“Silence Ayn. Do not interrupt me when I am talking to the peasants.” She says, smacking the arm of her chair as you continue to stare straight ahead. “Anyways, that leads to my next question. Of what standing are you in your society?”

“I believe I'm solidly within the lower middle to middle class, ma'am.” You reply.

“Hmm, so you're not strictly a peasant then.” She says. “Interesting. Now, what do you do for a living?”

“I am a Marine, ma'am. I fight wars.” You tell her.

“That explains the ugly apparel. I assume this is your uniform?” She asks.

“Yes, ma'am.” You reply.

“Take off your hat.” She tells you.

You do as you're told, taking off your hat and revealing your freshly shaved head.

“Your lack of hair and fur amuses me. Keep all hats off indoors please.” She says.

You put your field cap under your belt, securing it snugly before returning to attention.

“I hear you killed one of my guards.” She says, a bit annoyed.

“Yes, ma'am.” You tell her.

“Was he a traitor?” She asks.

“Yes, ma'am.” You reply.

“Good, it would have been unfortunate to lose my husband and daughter.” She tells you, not convincing you it would have been more than a slight inconvenience.

“Mother!” Ayn yells indignantly.

“I said silence, Ayn!” Kesis yells back. “Guards, give her an incentive!”

You feel something poke you in the back before feeling the most intense pain you've ever felt in your life. You fall to the ground, screaming and shouting at the top of your lungs as you continue to be shocked violently. Ayn tries to put her hand on you, but you wave her away, shaking your head as you continue to scream in agony. You feel your face getting more and more red as the pain doesn't stop. Then, as soon as it began, it stops, allowing you to catch your breath.

“That should shut you up for a while, you insubordinate brat.” She says, filled with anger. “You, Jackson, was it? How do you think I should punish my daughter?”

“Shocking me more, your highness.” You say after composing yourself.

“Hmm, I don't think that will do.” She says. “I'll think of something. In the mean time, why don't you tell me a bit more about what you used to do.”

“Ma'am, I was a Marine for a living. Is it okay if I don't talk about what I used to do?” You ask.

“No, you will tell me how you felt.” She tells you.

“Alright, I will.” You say. “I went on patrol a lot, cleaned the base, swept the sand-.”

“That's not what I mean. Do not test my patience.” She tells you, annoyed by you dodging the question. “How did it feel to kill?”

“Ma'am, I felt absolutely nothing when I pulled the trigger. I did what I was trained to do.” You reply rigidly.

“So you're saying it was easy to take a life?” She asks.

“Yes your highness. The hard part was dealing with it afterwards. Knowing you just split apart a family does things to you that you'd rather leave buried.” You tell her.

“Well, isn't that a shame?” She asks you. “Continue.”

“When I remember all those faces, the look in their eye when I shot them and took them away from their families, I honestly cry. I cry for hours on end and just can't stop because it hurts so much. The nightmares never stop and I never have any reprieve from them.” You tell her, sticking to the 3 sentence limit Ayn had put in place.

“Continue.” She says.

“I've killed men, young men, boys, women, children, and pets. I am not proud of what I've done and really want to stop talking about it.” You tell her. “Please stop making me remember.”

“Request denied.” She tells you.

“I remember the look on their faces as I took their life away with my weapon. The look of terror in their eye as I snuff out their very existence.” You tell her, struggling to keep from breaking down as tears begin to roll down your cheeks. “I hate myself for doing those terrible things and I just can't stand myself for it.”

“Keep going.” She says. “Your story is entertaining me.”

“I have seen people thrown off of buildings, stoned to death in the street, shot to death with massive rounds, and burned alive with incendiary rockets. I've heard a man ask me why we did this as he was burning to death before dropping dead on the ground, his flesh pealing off his muscles and bones. I am unable to articulate just how sad, and just how angry it makes me to think I and others like me are capable of such cruel and inhuman acts.” You say, the tears running down your face as you continue to keep yourself at parade rest and your voice from faltering.

“You're a monster.” She says, not a hint of sympathy in her voice.

“Yes, I am a monster.” You tell her, inhaling shakily. “A terrible, disgusting, and worthless monster.”

“How much do you want to strike me down right now? Smack the big bad jackal who brought back all those bad memories?” She asks.

“Not at all.” You tell her.

“That is a lie.” She tells you.

“I don't wish harm on you for telling me the truth.” You tell her. “I'm a terrible person and you're just stating the facts.”

You continue to stand at parade rest, your arms quivering and your legs quaking under the strain of your body weight. If you had to say anything more, you would drop to your knees and cry.

“Jack...”

“Silence Ayn. Congratulations, you've passed the test. I now know you won't try to take over my queendom and usurp my rule.” She tells you. “You may now leave.”

You stand at attention and give her a salute. Turning about face and marching out of the throne room with Ayn in tow. As soon as both of you are out of the throne room, Ayn grabs you and takes you down a hallway. When you reach a large sliding door, she opens it and pulls you inside, closing the door behind her and locking it. She then pulls you into a hug before you completely break down.

Ayn has to hold you up by your arms as you lose any and all strength to stand, wailing loudly into her chest as she rubs on your back. You can't control yourself as you feel Ayn put her hands behind your head, stroking the back of it as you soak her dress with your tears.

“I'm so sorry.” Ayn tells you. “I know that was hard for you.”

You can't even say anything as you continue to cry uncontrollably into her dress, completely humiliating yourself. You just sit like that for what feels like hours, letting all your sorrow and sadness out in one massive fit.

“I hate my mother so much, she never cares about anybody but herself! Her and that stupid fucking planet are rotten to the core!” Ayn yells. “I'd tell her off if I knew it wouldn't get you killed!”

You wrap your arms around her back and stand on your own two feet. You continue to cry into her shoulder, the cries beginning to fade as she hugs you back. You both stand like this for what feels like forever as your sobs turn to the occasional sniffle. Once you're done, you let go and Ayn smiles gently at you.

“I know you're not a monster.” She says. “I saw how you helped that servant girl. I don't think a monster would've done that. You did what you had to do to survive, and that can ruin someone. I've talked to police who have had to kill people too, they say the exact same thing. They think they're monsters for having to do what they had to do.”

“But-”

“No buts. Come on, you must be tired.” She tells you. “Take off your clothes and lay with me for a while.”

You know where this is going, but at this point, you don't care. You unbutton your shirt and reveal your PT shirt underneath, letting the BDU shirt fall to the ground as you undo your belt. You take off your pants next, setting the pants and belt combination down on the ground with your holster. You then take off your PT shirt and reveal your not-so-toned body to the world. Ayn takes off her dress, revealing she has literally nothing but a bra and panties underneath. She walks over to the bed and smiles, knowing she has you.

When she gets in bed, she waves you over with a finger and you lazily make your way over to her. You look over her perfectly toned body, large breasts, beautiful coat of fur, surprising lack of piercings, and gorgeous butt. Her tail is wagging ever so slightly in anticipation of what's to come. You sit down on the bed and take a deep breath, looking over at possibly the most beautiful girl you've ever seen.

“Are you really sure you want to do this? It's only going to be fun for one of us unless a miracle happens.” You tell her.

“Oh, this isn't for me sweetie. This is all for you.” She says, undoing her bra. “Are you a tits or an ass guy?”

“I dunno. Never had the choice before.” You tell her. “Hell, I've only ever had sex once and you know how that went.”

“Zofie told me she loved it. Said you were so big she came almost instantly.” She tells you.

“You know that wasn't my dick. She had just about brought herself to orgasm anyways. I could've stuck my finger inside her and she would've came.” You say. “Really, I'm nothing special. If I had to say anything about my ability, I'd just say I was given a big dick and no stamina.”

“You're the exact opposite of the guys I usually do it with. Big talk but as soon as they slide themselves in, pop goes the weasel.” She says with a giggle. “Not that I don't enjoy it, I may very well cum before you.”

“I don't know about that.” You tell her.

She smirks and slaps you in the face with her bra, blowing a raspberry at you. You chuckle at that, throwing her bra on the floor. You look back at her and down at her tits, which seemed to call out to you.

“Go ahead, touch them~.” She tells you.

You do as she says and grasp them in your hands, feeling the soft and squishy mounds of flesh in your hand as Ayn moans with delight. This makes you bite your lower lip slightly, as your cock begins to rise against your will. You were doing so good keeping it flaccid too. She puts her hands over yours and moves them around, licking her chops as she continues to moan with delight.

“Want me to use these first?” She asks with a smirk. “You seem to enjoy handling them.”

“Y-yeah, sure.” You tell her.

She pulls your hands off her tits and pulls you onto the bed, laying you down before taking your underwear off you. You look down at yourself and are startled by your length, still not used to how long it is after all these months. Ayn lays herself down on the bed facing you, positioning her melons on either side of your cock. As soon as they touch, you feel your cock pulsate as the velvety smooth tits squish around your dick.

“Ah, this definitely was the right choice.” Ayn says, beginning to work her tits up and down.

You let a moan escape, which stuns both of you for a bit.

“S-shit, sorry.” You tell her.

“Jeez, you really do like this.” She tells you as your cock continues to pulsate. “You're already close.”

Just as she says that, you blow your load all over her tits, coating them in hot, sticky, spunk as Ayn smiles warmly.

“There it is~.” She says, moving her mouth over your dick and sucking the remaining spurts directly from your shaft, making you shudder in ecstasy.

She sucks every last drop of cum from your cock as she moves her way up it, moaning as she wraps her long tongue around your slowly softening man meat. She lets go of your cock with a wet pop, running her finger along her boobs and gathering up all the cum she missed. She sticks her finger in her mouth and moans, fluttering her eyes at you before she looks down at your dick with confusion.

“Uh, is something wrong?” She asks.

“No, I'm just spent.” You say, laying yourself back on the pillows. “Sorry if I'm a bit underwhelming.”

“Like I said sweetie, this was for you, not me.” She says, cleaning herself off with her tongue. “Though, I did think you were going to last at least one more round...”

“Yeah, sorry.” You tell her, looking away, embarrassed. “I'm just really tired.”

Ayn nods, getting off the bed to retrieve her bra from the floor. However, she doesn't put it on, instead opting to throw it in the clothes chute. She walks back to the bed and slides over to the other side of the bed, pulling the covers over herself and you. It doesn't take long before you fall asleep, darkness creeping its way into your mind.


	6. Chapter 5: Why we fight

A village is burning right in front of your eyes, having been torched by insurgents as you're forced to move through the smokey ruins. You've lost contact with your squad and have been trying to reach them on the radio, but they won't respond. Children run out of burning huts, screaming as they burn in front of you. Mortar fire lands on houses in the distance, as they blow up what they can not burn. This was the first village you decided to help.

You try to help the children, hearing their blood curdling screams of agony as their lungs melt from the outside in. However, the only thing you can do is end their suffering, so you do.

BANG

The shot echoes throughout the village and mountains, seeming to silence everything as you continue to walk through it. A woman and her child come running at you, holding closed fists up in the air. You ask them to show you their hands, but they don't listen, just running forward as you run out of time to act. You raise your pistol to the two and take aim, pulling the trigger again.

BANG...BANG

The shots echo as the last one did, allowing you to continue down the road of the burning village. You feel someone watching you, as if they've been following you. However, you don't dare look behind you for fear of not being able to move on. You keep moving, seeing shots come from the roof of a building, causing you to take cover. You take aim around the corner and see a boy who's no older than 12 holding an AK, struggling to keep it steady as his malnourished frame barely has enough strength to hold the weapon. You take aim with your pistol, seeing the surprise in his face as you pull the trigger.

BANG

Another echo as you move from cover, continuing down the fiery path of your own personal hell. 3 elderly men walk into the middle of the street, rocks in hand as they begin booing you and throwing them. Rocks pelt you like water hitting an umbrella, doing nothing but annoying you. One of them pulls out a Makarov, pointing it in your general direction before firing it wildly. You take aim with your 45 and pull the trigger.

BANG BANG BANG

3 shots, one per person. You're half way to the end of the road, still feeling somebody following you as the fire rages to either side of you. A truck being driven by a middle school aged boy comes barreling out of an alley, presumably laden with explosives. You take aim with your sidearm and squeeze the trigger, needing to make this shot count.

BANG

The truck swerves off to the side of the road, plowing through a burning house before erupting in a massive fireball. You hit the magazine release, taking the empty mag out before inserting a fresh one, flicking the slide release before continuing down the road. You know what awaits you at the end. You can see it in the distance, calling to you like a twisted melody of screaming and gunfire. Maybe, you could save them this time.

You continue on the path to your damnation, feeling whatever is behind you close in. You try to ignore it, but the feeling persists. You feel yourself begin to shake with fear, nearing your objective as the thing behind you nears its. You can't take it anymore, readying your weapon and pointing it behind you.

“Jack...” Ayn says, putting her hands up.

“What are you doing here?” You ask, putting the pistol to your side.

“I'm linked to your dream with a spell one of our oracles performed. You were groaning in your sleep, tossing and turning as well.” She tells you. “Is this the dream you were having when we-”

“Yes.” You tell her. “Leave while you've only seen the least of it.”

“I can't. Even if I could, I wouldn't leave you to walk this path alone.” She tells you, closing the distance between you. “We'll walk together.”

You look down at the ground, which was blackened by soot and ash from the fires. You look back up and nod, moving toward the worst part of your dream. A woman rushes around the corner, dressed in only a bra and pants before tripping and falling on the ground. She desperately tries to get back up, but she can't. Ayn tries to move forward, but you stop her.

“We can't help her.” You tell her.

“Help her with what?” She asks.

Just as she says that, men in black robes and shemahgs exit the alley way, beginning to chuck rocks at the woman. She screams in pain as the rocks collide with her bare skin, breaking her fragile bones as the men begin shouting in Arabic.

“NO!” Ayn screams. “YOU MONSTERS! STOP IT!”

She pushes past you as you try to grab her, but it's too late. They've seen her. She rushes in front of the poor woman, taking rocks as she too yelps from the pain. They start speaking slyly, which leads to their next horrific act. You can't stop yourself. You needed to intervene before they got both Ayn and that poor woman. You aim and pull the trigger.

BANG

One goes down.

BANG

Another drops, but there's too many of them.

BANG BANG

You don't have enough ammo for this, but you try anyways.

BANG BANG BANG click

You swap out your magazine with a fresh one as fast as you can before feeling a rock hit you square in the chest, knocking you down as you rack the slide on your pistol. You empty the magazine into the remaining hadjis, feeling like you just got hit by a freight train. How did you stay conscious? You usually pass out when you get stoned.

“Ayn! Are you okay?!” You ask, pushing yourself off the ground.

“Y-yeah. I think I'm fine.” She tells you. “It just hurts a lot. AH!”

“It'll pass.” You tell her. “We're done here anyway.”

You see a swirling vortex open up in front of you, drawing you in as Ayn looks on in horror.

“No, NO! YOU SAID TOMORROW! NOT TODAY! NO!” She screams.

“You should never trust the word of someone like me princess.” The vortex tells her. “Now come along, you have a battle to lose~.”

It pulls both of you into the vortex, knocking you out cold.

??? later

You awaken in a dirt street, hearing the sound of metal on metal as furious grunts are heard. Screaming is all around you as people run away from the clanging behind you.

“You will never win, no matter how strong you get or how skillful you become. I will always WIN!” A smooth and low voice calls out.

“I will NEVER stop fighting for my people! NEVER!” Ayn shouts in protest.

You look behind you and see a scene from a picture unfolding before your eyes. Ayn manages to parry Loki's attack with her staff as he grins with pleasure, taking joy in what he's doing to her.

“Just give in Ayn, it's less trouble for both of us!” He yells. “Nobody can help you in this dream land of yours!”

“You know I'll never-SHIT!” She shouts, barely avoiding getting sliced in half.

You had to do something. She can't go toe to toe with this monster of a man. He's nearly twice her size and strength, the only thing keeping her alive being her relative agility. What could you even do?

“I gotta think of something...” You whisper aloud. “I can't just leave her there.”

As you say that, a piece of metal falls from the sky, landing at your feet with a loud thud. It was a gun, but it wasn't just any gun. It was a Magnum. You knew exactly what you needed to do.

Ayn

You're on the back foot once more, giving it everything you've got and then some. He's managed to get a few good slices in on you, the pain slowing your movements as you desperately try to keep him back. You were not going to make it easy for him, not now, not ever. He takes one last mighty swing, slicing your beloved staff in half with his massive sword. He grins wildly at this, as you try to take a defensive position with the 2 unbalanced pieces of metal and stone.

“You're finished princess. Pay your dues or I shall come back next time to inflict more pain upon you.” He tells you with a smile.

“Never. I will endure so my people know no pain.” You tell him, strengthening your resolve. “I will do everything in my power to keep you away from here.”

“Foolish and naive.” He tells you. “Just like you always are. Prepare yourself for the pain of my blade princess.”

He brings his sword up above his head, ready to deliver the final blow as you desperately try to find a way to defend against his attack. You had no energy to run, and no energy to fight. All you could do now is endure for the sake of your people. You fall to your knees, awaiting your eventual demise. Then, a loud sound akin to a tree being broken in half is heard, along with a loud hissing just above your head. You open your eyes to see a blue monstrosity holding a glowing dual bladed sword above your head.

“What?!” He asks. “How is someone else here?!”

The massive blue suit of armor stands rigid, keeping the swords away from you as it looks back. The visor is square and gold, a sun shade protruding from the front of said helmet as it seems to look back at you. It looks back up at Loki and pushes the sword forward, cutting through the blade with tantalizing slowness as the massive lion looks on in shock.

“IMPOSSIBLE!” He shouts in disbelief. “Nothing short of white hot plasma can cut through this sword!”

When the sword is cut through, the blue armored thing catches the free blade and chucks it at Loki, the blue sword fizzling out as it does. The massive ten foot tall lion barely avoids the sword, earning a gash of his own.

“You insolent little BUG!” He shouts. “I will squash you inside of that tin can of yours!”

The blue armored soldier gets into a fighting stance in front of you, turning its face towards you. It points off to the side, seeming to tell you to run. You don't argue, getting off the ground and away from the fighting as Loki charges forward. The blue thing leaps into the air, doing a sort of half back flip before delivering a massive kick to Loki's jaw. It lands on the ground after delivering the blow to him, drawing a knife and rushing towards him. The blue armored suit leaps into the air once more, able to roll out of the way of Loki's attempt to grapple it.

It gets around behind Loki in one swift movement, being almost too quick for the eye to follow. When it does get around back, it leaps onto Loki's back and pulls him onto the ground. That suit must weigh a ton. Once he's on the ground, the suited soldier takes the knife and slams it into Loki's throat, cutting across his neck in a gruesome display of violence. As Loki desperately tries to stop the bleeding, the thing pushes him off and gets off the ground.

You rise to your feet, seeing it begin walking towards you. It was very tall compared to you, maybe a foot taller at most. Not nearly as large as Loki, though that didn't seem to matter. It makes its way towards you before stopping in front of you, looking down on you. You could see your reflection in its gold visor, smiling up into the reflection.

“Thank you.” You tell him.

The armored thing undoes its helmet, twisting it a bit before pulling it off, revealing Jackson underneath.

“That was so fucking cool.” He tells you. “I need to do this more often.”

Jack

You feel yourself get thrown up against a wall before your eyes shoot open, revealing a mass of red hair to you. You look down and see you're almost squeezing the life out of Ayn, as she has yet to wake from your shared dream. You relax your muscles and keep your arms around her back, stroking her gently as she too begins to stir.

“Mmm, good, uh, I think it's morning.” She tells you.

“Morning.” You reply simply.

“So, mind talking about that massive blue suit of armor?” She asks, pushing herself back from you.

You see that she's still bare chested, but you weren't interested in her assets, you were interested in talking. Still...

“Can you, uh, put some clothes on? Your boobs are gonna distract me.” You tell her.

“Oh, yeah. Hold on a second.” She tells you.

After Ayn finishes putting on a bra and a shirt, she gets back on the bed and sits in front of you.

“So, that armor?” She asks.

“Oh, that's from a video game.” You tell her, looking down at the grey bed sheets. “I couldn't think of anything stronger and you were about to die, so I thought of the first thing that could beat Loki.”

“Nerd.” She tells you with a playful smile. “Still, I'm glad you thought of something like that. You saved my ass, literally. I'd love to see that video game though, seems like a good power trip.”

“Yeah, it's a bit underwhelming when you actually play the game.” You tell her. “What was that dream about anyways? I've seen the picture before, but I had no idea it was something that happened on a daily basis.”

“Not daily, weekly.” She tells you. “If you've seen the picture of the battle, surely you know what happens when I lose.”

You cringe at the image of Ayn being torn apart but Loki's massive schlong, which was the only time you ever saw her frown while having sex. Otherwise she was always smiling and happy to give her body to whoever needed it.

“Yeah, it's not fun either way.” She tells you. “I struck a deal with him that said if I could beat him, by any means, I could keep Siania free. Mother and father don't know, or they'd send an entire fleet to get butchered by him.”

“I see. Well, we won, so he should leave you alone, right?” You ask.

“Hopefully, if that sleazeball can be trusted.” She tells you. “What about yours?”

“My what?” You ask.

“Your dream. What about your dream?” She asks.

“I...don't know. I think it's my own personal hell.” You tell her. “Reliving all the moments I hated myself for. I wouldn't be surprised if hell was like that when I got there.”

Ayn doesn't respond, just sitting there and staring at you with her sky blue eyes. A smile slowly creeps across her face as you continue to look at each other, making you feel a bit uncomfortable. You look away, seeing a massive open deck behind her with an egg shell chair in the middle. Ayn gets in your field of view again and smiles.

“Come with me. I just remembered I wanted to show you around. Uh, just remember to get dressed first.” She tells you, poking your bare chest.

30 minutes later.

You enter the private dining room for Ayn and her brother, who you've already forgotten the name of. She sits down at the table as a very smartly dressed wolf enters the room with a floating cart of sorts. Ayn had ordered a simple breakfast, as had you. Just some toast for you and a dish you couldn't pronounce if you tried for Ayn. You decided to nickname it 'space rice'.

“Thank you Sek.” She tells the man in the suit. “You know the drill.”

“I'll take my leave now Ayn.” He says with a smile, bringing the floating cart back to the kitchen.

Ayn wolfs down the noodles and you eat your toast at an equally fast rate. Neither of you were eating to enjoy the food, rather to nourish yourselves. You finish your food and sit at the table politely, waiting for Ayn to finish hers. She scrapes the remaining noodles off of the sides of the bowl and shovels them into her mouth, drinking her water before setting the cup down.

“Jesus, you just inhaled that space rice.” You tell her. “I don't think I could eat it faster if I tried.”

“It's a dish best eaten quick. The taste is, uh, unique, if you let it stay in your mouth for long.” She says. “Well, let's get going. You already know where the throne room is, so I'll give that area a wide berth.”

You nod, getting up from the table before following your furry friend through the sliding doors. Everything was surprisingly old fashioned, save for a few things that have become creature comforts, such as heated and cooled floors, hard light doors to the outside world, holographic televisions, and other various things. You walk down the various halls, lined with paintings of the queen, the king, the prince, and Ayn in somewhat formal looking attire. The glass tables were lined with busts of the royal figures and others you didn't recognize. Possibly previous rulers.

When you make it down the hall, you see various rooms up ahead. These rooms look much more modern, sporting the usual automatic 2 piece doors, holographic interfaces and door signs, blue lighting, and red accents that you've come to know as the current rule's colors. Ayn said it was because she was the goddess of the current cycle and, since her hair was red, the current planetary color is red as well.

She stands in front of the door and presses a button on the holographic panel, opening the door to reveal a sort of gym. In the middle stood a massive machine that stretched into the top of the building. You remember seeing it once in one of Fluff's pinups, but you forgot what he said it was.

“I've seen that machine before. What is it?” You ask.

“Oh, that's the gravity modifier. Everything in here is easy for me to lift with a single finger, so I have to take it inside that chamber to get any kind of a work out.” She tells you. “Don't go in there or you'll be crushed.”

Now you remember what it was. The weight machine.

“How much are you able to lift again? 12 tons?” You ask.

“You over sell my abilities sweetie. It's about 4 or 5 depending on my mood.” She tells you, as if that's a normal number for her. “I managed to get 6 once when I was really upset, but that's about all I can do.”

“Huh, I remember being told it was 12.” You say, scratching your head. “Must've been wrong.”

“Well, let's move on to the lounge area.” She tells you, pulling you along.

“H-hey!” You tell her. “I can listen just fine!”

“Oh, yeah, sorry.” She says, letting go of your arm. “I'm used to guys who are off in their own little world.”

You nod and follow her to the next room, which is a few doors down. When she opens it, the room has a couple of bean bag chairs and some one piece molded chairs. There were a few sticks on a charging dock, which you learned were hard light tablets. She waves you inside and the door closes behind both of you.

“This is the reading room. My brother plays video games in here and I read e-books. I took Vikna in here once and had to pull her away from the holo screen.” She tells you. “Not much else to the room than that. Let's move on.”

You walk out the door with her and into the next room, seeing a desk and holo-screen on the desk. Ayn snaps her fingers and a keyboard is projected along the desk, along with what appears to be a touch pad.

“This is my office. I rarely use it for its intended purpose, but I do like using it for doing things my phone just can't.” She tells you. “I'm already getting claustrophobic being in here, let's move to something a bit more open.”

She takes you down the hall, turning left once you get to the end. You both keep going down the hall until Ayn opens a door to your right, turning the lighting on inside. The interior of the room is filled with...nothing but a pole and some mirrors. You know exactly what this room is for.

“This is the quote unquote 'yoga' room.” Ayn tells you. “Literally nobody uses it except me, so I put a dance pole in the middle to practice with. Been dancing since I was a little girl and practice my technique in here. Want a demonstration?”

“I appreciate the offer, but I don't feel comfortable with it, knowing your mother could walk in any time and see you, uh, performing.” You tell her.

“Hmm, never thought about that one. Might have to start waiting until she's busy with something. Saying that I'm doing naked yoga won't work forever.” She says, rubbing the back of her head. “She already hates me dancing like a 'two bit slut' or an 'impoverished peasant' like it doesn't take any skill or practice.”

You look over at the mirror as Ayn continues to rant about her mother, seeing a reflection of you looking back. You see start talking with her hands as you begin to zone out, walking up to the mirror until you're within 3 feet of it. Your PT shirt was a bit wrinkled and your belt was a bit loose, which you fixed immediately. When that was said and done, you continue to look at yourself in the mirror for a bit, just staring yourself in the eye. You wanted to look away, but couldn't see a reason to.

Then, the world started to fade away, leaving only you and your reflection. You hear the faint sound of a screaming man in the background before turning to see another reflection of yourself, crying in a chair. The you in the chair opens his eyes and backs away as far as he can in the green recliner, outstretching his arms and shaking his head. You make your way towards him before you feel a tap on your shoulder.

“What?” You ask, looking back to see Ayn giving you a worried look.

“You've been staring at the mirror for almost ten minutes now. I've been asking if you were alright.” She tells you. “Are you?”

“Yeah, I'm fine.” You reply. “Are these mirrors magical?”

“No, they're just regular old mirrors.” She tells you.

“Oh, well, is this all you wanted to show me?” You ask.

“No, I wanted to show you one last room. It's actually very new, as it was still being built when I snuck out. I tried it out a bit last night before my maid told me about what you were doing.” She says. “Let's go check it out.”

10 minutes later

You backtrack all the way back to a room that extended just beyond Ayn's bedroom. She walked in front of the door and a half circle illuminated in front of her, blinking red before she stepped back. The circle then flashed blue and the door opened up, being substantially thick. It looked like a very heavy duty filling of acoustic foam and titanium. Ayn leads you inside and you see a large white room, grid markings adorning the wall as you enter the room. The door closes behind you and everything is just a seamless white void with what looked to be cubes in the distance.

“This is the virtual reality room. We can do whatever we want in here.” She says, snapping her fingers. “Like play a games or chat with other people, you know, usual virtual reality stuff. I was practicing my combat skills last night against an appropriately sized target. Anything you want to do?”

“Can this thing take memories and play them back in a 3d space?” You ask, suspicious of the rooms origins.

“Yeah, how'd you know?” She asks in return.

“This was a concept of mine in one of my stories. Kind of cool that I get to use one of these in real life.” You tell her.

“Oh! That's why I brought you here in the first place.” She tells you. “I wanted to relive all the good memories you had from when you were a soldier.”

You're slightly annoyed that she'd call you a soldier, but you were happy to share some of the good memories with her.

“Alright, go ahead and do what it is you need to do and I'll just wait for a bit.” You tell her.

Just as you say that, a slight pain is felt in the back of your head as the room does whatever it need to do to search through your memories. You look around the room and find a neatly compiled log of your memories from 2010 to the present day. Ayn begins scrolling through them, smirking at a few of your naughtier memories as you look away in embarrassment.

“Oh sweetie, I didn't know you thought such naughty thoughts when you pleasured yourself~. Not just me, but Vikna and Zofie too, how perverted!” She teases. “I wonder what you think about nowadays~.”

“Please stop...” You say, your face already beet red and your self esteem having been completely Ctrl+Z'd. “I...I was really lonely.”

“Believe me, I can tell.” She says with a giggle. “I'll private the memories for you sweetie. Nobody will be able to access them but you.”

After privating your many embarrassing memories, she eventually reaches 2015 and stops, scrolling through the images as she continues to snicker at your expense.

“Is this it?” Ayn asks, pointing to the picture she has enhanced.

It shows you sitting in the back of a deuce and a half, rolling up on a village with a few packs of skittles in your hand.

“Yeah, that's the one.” You tell her. “Go ahead and play it.”

“Oh, we're not playing it. We're going to relive it.” She tells you, pressing the okay button.

You feel yourself thrust down into a sitting position as clothes and armor form around you. A load out screen pops up, giving you all of one option for your memory. The load out was named after the day the memory was from, 11/15/15. It gives you the option to name all of the items, as they were identified as weapons, but not found in the database. You feel your heart skip a beat when you see your beloved M240 sitting front and center. You give it the appropriate name of FN M240B before moving onto a less than beloved sidearm, your old M9. You name your grenades M67 FRAG and M18 SMOKE respectively, as you name the plastic explosives C4 PLASTIC. The last thing you name are your knives, which are the M9 Bayonet and KABAR respectively.

Once you hit okay, you're thrust into the truck immediately. You feel a heavy mass in your lap and grin from ear to ear when you see the massive weapon in all its glory. Then you see the sight it has on it and groan, displeased with the MGO you had on it. You managed to break your ACOG earlier and had been issued a replacement, lest you be required to use iron sights. When you look around the truck, you see all the familiar faces of your first squad, most of which you've lost contact with. However, you're nearly thrown out of your seat when you see a furry sitting at the very back of the truck.

“Ayn?” You ask.

“Hmm? Oh there you are!” She says. “I didn't recognize you.”

“Haigs, what the hell happened to your voice man?” Bill asks.

“I, uh, don't know Cole.” You reply. “Let's just focus on the humanitarian aid, alright?”

“You got it lance corporal.” He replies.

“That's a big gun.” Ayn says, looking down at your massive platoon MG.

“For you.” You tell her with a smirk.

Just as you say that, the truck slows down and stops, your platoon sergeant opening the gate on the rear of the truck.

“Everyone out of the truck! Start your patrols. Alpha team is on me. Bravo, you're with Haigs. Charlie is with Stefan. Let's get moving Marines!” He tells you all. “You too doggie.”

“Ouch.” You say under your breath.

He hops out of the truck and you all begin filing out, allowing you to heft your massive gun along with you. When you hop out of the truck, Ayn is sitting there with an M4 in hand, looking it over curiously.

“You won't need that here. I don't get into a firefight for another 5 days. Just keep it slung.” You tell her.

“Alright. I'll have to play around with it later.” She says.

You lead your fire team down the way you remember going almost 6 years ago, passing by adobe houses and some stone houses along the way. Your dickhead assistant gunner is singing some shitty rap lyrics while you're making your way down the road, hoping to get to the soccer field the kids are at before you strangle him. When you make it to the soccer field, you smile brightly at the kids and whistle at them. They all look in your direction and run towards you, stopping their game to meet the candy men.

“America!” They all yell, smiling and laughing. “Alkalboo!”

“Yes, I am a dog.” Ayn says, taking a knee and smiling.

You take a pack of skittles out of your pocket and give it to the little kid in front of you, seeing him give you a package of baby wipes in return. You take the wipes and look over to Ayn, seeing her get pet by all the little kids as your fire team watches in amusement. It's only now that you realize Ayn is dressed up in MARPAT and Kevlar, which makes her look...odd to say the least.

“Just noticed you're dressed up in MARPAT.” You tell her. “You look good in it.”

“What's a MARPAT?” She asks, opening her eyes and looking at her sleeve. “Oh, I thought I was still in my dress.”

The kids start scratching behind her ears and her eyes flutter closed again, her tongue sticking out as she enjoys the sensation of being pet. You look down the road and see something odd in the distance. You don't remember any traffic coming through when you were there for real. The car turns down the road and your eyes go wide in surprise.

“Get off the road.” You say, backing away from the vehicle. “All of you, get the fuck off the road.”

“What? Why?” She asks.

“Just do what I say. Walk into the field slowly. It's a suicide bomber.” You tell her. “It's heading for the truck.”

“Why don't we shoot it?” She asks.

“It'll blow us up instead.” You tell her. “I don't know about you, but this sim hurts you when you die.”

“I noticed.” Ayn says, continuing to back out of the road. “Follow me kids.”

They nod and the rest of your fire team gives the car a wide birth, allowing it to pass unhindered. You grip your 240 so hard the bipod folds out, prompting you to slap it back in place. Everyone watches as the car passes with tantalizing slowness, the driver watching you nervously as you both know not to fuck with each other. The driver proceeds to turn left, the opposite way you all came. The simulation ends right there, an error occurring and stripping you both of your weapons and clothing.

“What's going on?” You ask.

Just as you ask that, the door opens before the power inside the room completely dies. You walk over to the door and push it open the rest of the way, not liking this one bit. You undo the holster for your pistol and look around the hallway, seeing nobody there.

“Did the power go out?” You ask.

“No, it's just glitching out right now. You don't need to be worried.” She tells you, coming up behind you. “You know your squad and the kids would've been fine, right? You only really needed to get me off the road.”

“I know, I just-”

You stop when she puts her hands on your shoulders, beginning to massage them gently.

“I put that little variable in there to see what you'd do. I felt the pain in your heart when I came back to the bridge almost immediately. The doubt and the sadness. In your dream you, didn't shoot those people because you hated them, but because you were doing them a kindness. I don't know how it is for humans, but burning is the worst way to die for us.” She tells you, rubbing your cheek with her padded hands. “The life of that boy would've been horrible if you had saved him. I think on some level, you knew that too. We both know that we can't keep everyone alive.”

“I hope you're right.” You tell her, putting a hand over hers before releasing it. “I really hope you're right.”

“I know exactly what will take your mind off all this sadness~.” She tells you slyly, continuing to rub your shoulders.

“Video games.” You say hurriedly, not wanting this to turn into 5 hour long fuck session. “We should go play some.”

Ayn groans, obviously displeased with you not wanting to dick her, but she relents and leads you out of the VR room.

Vikna

You look out into the massive expanse of stars and wrecked ships, having recently convened with high command about what the next course of action would be. VST had gotten her software patched so she could fire the missiles without Jack and had been slowly thinning out the blockade. ZTA had given all of the vessels fair warning to evacuate and surrender to the local authorities, but the request was largely ignored, save for a few ships where the civilian crew mutinied and took the offer. Your bridge was now alive with activity, as the 8 seats that were not filled with Kaltag AI were staffed by crew you haven't seen since the civil conflict. Remembering those days makes you shiver, unconsciously rubbing the scars on your legs as you feel the razor sharp shrapnel impact your legs like it was yesterday.

The Kaltag Apex units were doing great, outside of ARA being unusually jumpy. You had to give her plenty of warning as you approached, or else you'd end up having her fall out of her chair in fright. The engineers had no real explanation other than it was laced into another important sub system of hers. This meant you couldn't remove it, even if you wanted to. Your holo-screen continued to display the names of your crew as VST fired another volley of missiles. You scroll over Jacks name and are confused by its appearance. Did someone else add him to the crew roster? You open it up and begin looking through his file.

Name: Jackson Halifax Haigs  
Affiliation: United States of America  
Citizenship: USA (Full), Ireland (Partial), Katrician (Partial), Sianian (Partial), Galactic Empire (Partial)  
Date of birth: 05/30/1995  
Place of birth: Dublin, Ireland  
Age: 27  
Weight: 235 lbs  
Height: 5'11” Biological 6'2” Actual  
Defects: Minor autism(Being treated), Severe PTSD, Low testosterone(Being treated), Slight visual impairment, Risk of diabetes(Cured), Anger issues, Anger management issues, Social anxiety  
Abilities: None found  
Magical power: None reported  
Tau flow/absorption: 5/72  
Augmentation analysis: Very high acceptance rate, report to KAL

|MILITARY SERVICE RECORD IDENTIFIED|  
Branch: |FOREIGN| United States Marine Corps  
Rank: E-6 Staff Sergeant  
MOS list: 0331 Machine Gunner, 0352 Anti-tank Missile Gunner qualified, 0311 Rifleman  
Service length: 1 year 7 months split over 1 tour in 2015-2016 and 1 tour in 2020, 5+ years reservist  
Misdemeanors: Petty theft of US Army property, Minor insubordination (Unreported), Friendly fire (Unreported), Threatening allies with violence, Destruction of Marine Corps property, Destruction of Marine Corps property (Unreported), Murder of civilian elements (Self Defense), Murder of civilian elements (Unreported)  
Misdemeanors explained:

Petty theft: Petty theft of an FN M240L General Purpose Machine Gun, replaced with an FN M240B of older design and heavier weight. US Army never attempted retrieval due to abundance of new weapon.

Minor insubordination (Unreported): Refusal to act on order to continue patrolling an area of high risk. Threatened with court martial and responded with blackmail. Never reported due to officer being discharged 1 year later.

Friendly fire (Unreported): Fired upon National Guards who opened fire on his squad of Marines, mistakenly identifying them as insurgents. Official reports indicate a Taliban attack in the area, then LCPL. (E-3) Haigs took fire from. Unofficial reports indicate Haigs 'Wasted the mother fuckers'. Multiple instances of sending incompetent and cowardly Afghanistan National Army forces over Afghanistan-China boarder to be shot. All official reports indicate the friendly elements wandered off and were quickly eliminated by Chinese soldiers. Never reported due to squad mates being like minded.

Threatening allies with violence: SSGT. Haigs, being in an agitated state, threatened to murder a problematic team member after he jokingly referred to the then PFC. (E-2) Haigs as “Squeak”. Punished accordingly.

Destruction of Marine Corps property: Attempted to polish non-leather combat boots and destroyed the fabric completely, compromising the boots. Punished accordingly and issued like-new replacements. Dropped weapon under combat conditions, damaging optical sight beyond repair. Punished accordingly and issued inferior sight until new sight could be requisitioned. Replaced sight with his own money before new sight could be obtained.

Destruction of Marine Corps property (Unreported): After witnessing the effects of the Flame Shoulder Launched (FLASH) M202 rocket launcher, then SGT. (E-5) Haigs elected to scatter the parts of the launcher around the mountains, hiding them in the sand and under stones. Reports show it was never found or looked into. Never reported due to squad mates being like minded.

Murder of civilian elements (Self defense): Multiple instances of civilians drawing weapons or throwing stones at passing patrols. SSGT. Haigs' anger flared up and he opened fire on the individual with GPMG or fire from his sidearm. Official reports showed he acted in self defense in all instances.

Murder of civilian elements (Unreported): Multiple instances of civilians provoking a response out of SSGT. Haigs, which by military standards are not considered valid reasons to defend one's self. Such instances include men raping women, men stoning women, men beating children for seemingly meaningless reasons, and aggravating him for various reasons. Never reported due to squad mates being like minded.

Status: Fit for front line duty with like minded and equally tempered individuals.

“Holy shit...” You say, attempting to take in all the information provided to you. “A Tau index of 5 to 72? I could blast an entire town with magic for half a minute with that kind of retention.”

Normal Tau indexes looked something like 35/6 or in your case, 68/10. Rei hears you talking to yourself and walks over to your side, seeing an image of Jack in his full combat gear holding a Decklend brand rifle.

“There's a file on Jack?” He asks. “Holy shit! Look at that Tau retention! I think the only ones who have higher retention are Fire Fyter and a couple of other heroes I can't remember the name of. Looks like his flow isn't too good though.”

“I'd be surprised if he could pull off any kind of magic with flow that bad. Maybe he hasn't found his power yet?” You ask.

“That could be it. His abilities and magic might not be developed yet.” He tells you. “Oh god, he has Low T?”

You snicker at that and he slaps you on the shoulder, scolding you like an angry father. You look through the report once more and look over the friendly fire report again.

“It says here he shot at some National Guard. Is that some sort of military branch?” You ask.

“Stateside military. They send the National Guard out when we don't want to send in more Army or Marines. Each state has their own National Guard and can send them wherever they want in the world as long as it isn't to invade another country or state.” Rei replies. “They're also seen as the least competent branch in the armed forces from what Jack tells me.”

“So they're like a militia?” You ask.

“Sort of.” He replies.

“Murder of civilian elements?” You ask. “Jesus Christ, how many?”

“He said over sixty. I'd believe him. I've seen the look in his eyes, looks like the lights are on but nobody's home.” He replies. “Must be tough on him.”

“Anger and Anger management issues?” You ask. “That figures.”

“I wouldn't talk if I were you.” Rei says with a smirk.

“I-I don't have anger issues!” You yell indignantly. “People are just stupid.”

“Hmm, it says here he has a very high acceptance rate for augmentations. Wonder if all humans are like that?” He asks.

“Mine was moderate and Ayn's was high, though she'll never get an unnecessary augment as long as she lives. Nytro had a very high augment acceptance rating and Zofie is the same as me.” You tell him. “Kind of odd that females are less accepting of augments than males.”

“It's a defense mechanism for females to protect their young. Sorry about that.” Rei replies, rubbing behind his neck. “It's so you heal faster if you're wounded.”

“Well, I don't think I'm gonna be having kids. Little bastards would slow me down.” You tell him.

“Ouch, I think you just gave me a paper cut with that edge.” He tells you.

“Oh, fuck off. You know better than anyone that I only care about my work.” You retort.

“You can fool yourself, but you can't fool me.” He tells you, walking off with that stupid grin he always wears.

When he leaves you alone with your bridge crew, you sigh and close his file. Maybe you should call him to make sure he's alright. Not that you'd care, but maybe ARA or Rei might. Zofie definitely wants to know how he's doing. You pull out your phone stick and open it up, checking your contacts for Jacks number. You find it and dial the number, waiting for him to pick up. The phone answers and you smile.

“Hello?” He asks.

“Hey Jack, it's Vikna. I'm just calling to ask how you're doing. Zofie really wants to know and so does ARA.” You say, keeping the phone held up to your ear.

There's a long pause before a long and drawn out sigh is heard on the other side.

“Vikna, if you want to call and say hi, just do it. That's what friends do, right? Unless I missed something so obvious in the multiple passes over your galaxy's lore, I'm sure it's fine for friends to call each other.” He tells you. “Besides, ARA would've shot me a text and Zofie would've called me on her own phone.”

“W-well, I...fine, you win. I'm calling because I'm worried about you.” You tell him. “Is Ayn treating you okay? She hasn't fucked you into the ground, has she?”

“No, she's been good to me.” He tells you, the grogginess in his voice apparent. “How's everything holding up on your end?”

“We're doing fine. We managed to break a large gap in their blockade, so we're able to move ships over to the Tower without any issue. Your super weapons are working too. We just launched another volley at a fleet of ships over the horizon.” You reply.

“You've been keeping the jets of plasma away from the planet, right?” He asks. “They're highly radioactive.”

“Yes, we've been doing that.” You tell him, rolling your eyes.

“I can feel your eyes rolling from here. Well, I'll see about ending my stay here shortly so I can come back to help you out. I've been...busy, so to speak. No hardcore sex, just busy getting help from Ayn.” He tells you.

“Hardcore?! What the hell do you mean?! You said she hasn't fucked you!” You yell, getting the attention of ARA and a couple crew members.

You feel your face heat up and you look away in embarrassment.

“You just shouted in front of the crew, didn't you?” He asks.

“Y-yeah.” You say quietly.

“Well, you asked if she fucked me into the ground. That's a no. However, she did help me relieve some anxiety I was feeling. Wasn't anything too exciting, just a boob job and-”

“You don't need to tell me!” You whisper loudly. “I get it!”

“Well, I need to go. Ayn's beating my ass at Ace Combat and I'd like to regain the lead. See you later.” He tells you.

“Bye.” You tell him, hanging up the phone. “Wait, what the hell is an Ace Combat?”

What the hell is he talking about? Playing video games when he's tired? Something fishy is going on here. You tell your first officer to take over. You were paying Jack and Ayn a little visit.

Jack

6 hours later

You've been sitting in an MRAP for a while now, just talking with AI versions of your buddies and Ayn as well. This was your preferred loading space, as you felt nowhere was safer than inside a Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle. Mike was taking the gun over for you while you ate something the kitchen had brought you, a plain old beef sandwich. As far as the AI knew, you were eating crackers and beef stew from a retort pouch.

“Hey, Squeak, you done eating your fucking stew yet, you old geezer?” Mike asks.

“How about I coat the bottom of your trousers in it, you impatient mongoloid?” You reply. “I'll be done when I'm done.”

“Sure, fucking slow poke.” He says, getting back on the M2.

You finish your sandwich and put the wrapper inside your unused mag pouches before realizing it won't stay when the sim ends. You put the garbage in your BDU pockets instead, sitting back down and checking your MG over.

“CONTACT!” He shouts, being pointed behind the MRAP. “STOP THE TRUCK!”

You look out the back of the truck and can't see a damn thing, due in part to the small windows.

“Is the new sim already loaded?” You ask.

“No, it's still got a few minutes.” She tells you.

You feel uneasy about this whole thing, so you take out your real pistol and open the rear door. When you do, you fall out of the back in surprise at who you see. When you look up from the ground, you see Vikna crossing her arms impatiently.

“So this is what you've been doing.” Vikna says.

“How the hell did you get in here?!” Ayn asks loudly.

“The guards were easily persuaded by my rank. Get off the floor you fucking klutz.” She replies.

You get off the floor and look down at Vikna, seeing she was also dressed in MARPAT, having been given a MK18 instead of an M4.

“You look good in MARPAT.” You tell her. “Maybe I should get all of you some BDUs when I get back home.”

“Why the hell are you in here?!” Vikna asks angrily. “You said Ayn's been helping you! Not playing video games in a VR room!”

“He's reliving his memories Habibi'ti. Shit, sorry Jack.” She says, retracting her statement.

“It's fine.” You tell her, not looking away from Vikna. “Hop aboard, you're part of the squad now.”

“W-what?!” She asks.

You point to the door that just sealed behind her and she turns around, her ears folding back as her tail wraps around her front.

“Looks like you're stuck with us.” Ayn says with a smart tone. “Come on, join the fun.”

“God dammit. I told them I'd be back soon...but I didn't specify a time, so I guess I could-”

“Great, get in the truck.” You tell her, pulling her over to the massive vehicle.

“D-don't pull me!” She yells, not resisting as she does so.

“Go on, get in the truck so we can start the scenario.” You tell her, helping her up the steps that were just out of reach for her.

“Hands off!” She yells, slapping your hands away. “Why are you so touchy feely all of a sudden?”

“Because I'm helping you into the truck. Now get inside and quit bitching. I'll give you the run down when we get moving.” You tell her.

“You're acting so different! I don't like it. You're too assertive.” She says, looking back down.

“Just get in the truck.” You tell her, pointing up into the truck.

You watch as Ayn and Larry pull her into the cabin of the truck and you haul yourself up, closing the door behind you as you enter. Vikna had taken your seat and you sigh, sitting on the floor. If you hit a mine, your ass was going to be where your head is right now. Thankfully you don't get hit by mines in this scenario, so you'll be fine.

“Vikna, what's going to happen is we're going to get out of this truck and be directly in the middle of a street. We need to get on top of a building to start spotting targets that will be coming in the form of a T-62 and a few heavily armored techincals. Don't fire on it with small arms or it'll fire back and kill all of us. Ayn already tried and got everyone killed.” You tell her. “We need to protect John over here and keep him from getting domed by the ISIS fighters that will be sent first. Magic doesn't work here, so you need to rely on your marksmanship.”

“Shit, I haven't fired a rifle much since the civil conflict. I'm out of practice.” She tells you. “Wait, why the hell am I playing this stupid game?!”

“Because the VR room doors don't unlock until the scenario has ended, as in everyone has died or the mission is complete.” Ayn replies. “Trust me, it's more fun than you give it credit for. All the boring parts are cut out and we get straight to the fighting.”

“She got mad when I took her on a two hour patrol.” You tell her. “She shot her-uh, stopped the sim half way to the target.”

“That was boring and you know it.” She replies.

“You know that's most of the shit I did, right?” You ask.“Best part is, nobody actually dies. It's like playing a video game based off my memories.”

“Why did you sound so tired 3 hours ago?” She asks.

“I had just finished going through a really traumatic memory and I was tired from crying myself into a blubbering mess.” You reply.

“Oh...well when the game is done, Rei and I need to talk to you about your Tau index. I was also required to submit a report to the KAL about your readiness for augmentation.” She tells you.

“Fuck that, I'm not turning into some monstrosity of a super soldier to fight off terrorists that might take 5 months to eradicate completely at the very most.” You tell her.

“What? No! It's for ID augmentations and eligibility for a neural interface.” She tells you. “Besides, if they wanted you for that, they would already have you.”

Just as she says that, the truck stops and you grab the massive gun from beside her, hoisting it up and into a carry position.

“So that's what an M240 is.” She says cryptically.

“Yeah it's the old B model.” You tell her before realizing that you never told her what gun you used. “Wait, how do you know what this is?”

“Uh, I read your file.” She says. “This was before you stole from the Army, right?”

“How the hell do you have my file?” You ask.

“The ship apparently did a brain scan on you as soon as you entered. It found evidence of your military history and generated a report from that. It's perfectly normal and updates every time you come inside the ship.” She tells you, watching the door as it opens. “I didn't know it would scan your brain in particular, since I turned auto scan off.”

When everyone hops out of the MRAP, they all begin running to their positions with you and your friends in tow. When everyone is at the starting point, your Gunnery Sergeant starts giving orders.

“Haigs, Ramen noodles, Miyur, I need a field of fire down that road! We're holding here until we can get our armored support through the town!” He yells. “Everyone else, on me to receive orders!”

“Gunny, I need Sykes up here with me!” You tell him. “I think there were reports of armor in the briefing!”

“Alright Haigs. Sykes! Get your ass back up here and stay with the Sergeant!” He yells. “Good hunting you four.”

He walks back down the stone stair cases and Ayn snickers.

“He called you ramen noodles.” Ayn teases.

“Sh-shut up!” Vikna yells back.

“Quiet you two. Watch the road.” You tell them. “Faster we get this done, faster we can get out of the sim.”

“Faster she can get out of the sim. You and I still have some homebrew therapy to do.” Ayn tells you.

“Do you really think it's wise to take him back through traumatic events like this?” Vikna asks.

“Professional help costs too much for him and getting the memories removed isn't an option for trauma as bad as this. Besides, our psychologist told me this would help.” She tells you.

“Well, I think it'd be best for me to wait down the stairs. I-”

Before she can finish, a round impacts the wall and you pull her back to cover.

“CONTACT 500 METERS!” You yell. “WEAPONS FREE!”

You flick the safety off your weapon and begin firing, short 3 round bursts that were much more effective than the 5 round bursts you were trained on.

RATATAT RATATAT

Two down and you hear Ayn begin opening fire to your right. You look off to your left and see Vikna taking cover, gripping her rifle tight.

“Vikna! I said weapons free!” You yell, getting back to laying down fire as John does the same.

“R-right!” She yells, probably being out of practice in infantry combat.

She begins firing the rifle, loud bangs and massive muzzle flashes accompanying the trigger pulls. Shots are falling short of the target as rounds impact her position.

“Compensate for the drop!” You yell. “Markings on the sight are for range! Use the 500 meter mark for sighting!”

She aims the weapon up a bit and begins hitting targets, downing them as you smile at her success. Your smile was immediately interrupted by the sound of a round hitting flesh and a loud scream.

“I'M HIT!” John screams. “I'M HIIIT!”

“Corporal!” You yell. “AYN GET ON THE GUN! 3 TO 5 ROUND BURSTS! 400 METERS!”

You scramble over to John and see he's hit in the shoulder. You see the bullet lodged in him and grab your leatherman, sterilizing it with water before grabbing the base of the round. You pull it out swiftly and see it was a Tokarev round. Lucky hadji bastards.

“Can you still aim the Javelin?!” You ask over the hail of gunfire coming in.

“N-no Sergeant!” He says. “My shoulder's fucked!”

You grab a bandage from out of your IFAK, beginning to pack the wound before wrapping the remaining bandage under his arm pit to secure it in place. He groans in pain as you do this, the toughest mother fucker in the squad taking it like a man. You grab the Javelin off his back and lay it out, assembling it and removing the end cap. You get on the radio and tune your frequency to Gunny's radio.

“Gunny! This is Haigs, Sykes is down! I need whatever AT you can spare up here!” You yell into the radio.

“You got a SMAW coming up to you Haigs! Hold tight!” He yells back. “Gunny out!”

Just as he says that, you hear Ayn stop firing.

“Jack! The tank is here!” She yells.

You look out over the horizon and see the silhouette of A T-62 about 700 meters from your position.

“HOLD YOUR FIRE!” You shout. “HOLD YOUR FIRE!”

Vikna doesn't stop firing, so you rush over to her side and throw your IFAK at her.

“I said hold your god damn fire!” You yell, angry that you might have all been spotted.

She looks up at you and you could see the fear and desperation in her eyes. She wasn't firing because she had targets, she was firing because she was scared. You get down on the ground, watching the tank advance slowly as the idiots inside try to figure out how to change gears.

“Vikna, just stay in cover for now. Okay?” You ask, your tone more sedate.

“O-okay.” She replies.

You make your way back to the Javelin and continue readying the launcher. John has a massive grin on his face as he sees you preparing his baby. The launcher warms up quickly and you get into a firing position, acquiring the T-62 in your sights.

“Target spotted! Locked!” You yell.

“LEFT, RIGHT, BACK BLAST CLEAR! MISSILE!” Sykes screams, his voice cracking.

“ON THE WAY!” You scream as well, your voice cracking too.

Click PSH PSSSSHOOOOOOOO

The rocket tracks the target, being set to top attack mode as it soars into the air. It goes into a dive as soon as it reaches the three quarter way mark. The missile slams into the top of the tank blowing the top off it.

“SCRATCH ONE! WOO!” You shout, letting the launcher settle on the ground.

“Sergeant! I heard you ne-”

Before he could finish, the SMAW gunner takes a shot to the head, falling back over.

“TOMMY!” You yell, rushing over to him. “Tommy's hit!”

You look down at him and see the shot passed right through both sides of his helmet, fluids dripping from either side of it. You grit your teeth, how dare they kill a Marine, no, YOUR MARINE. You pick up the SMAW and check it's loaded with HEDP. The spotting rifle had a full magazine and you rack the round into place, feeling your teeth grind as you did. You grab 3 more rockets from Tommy's pack, making your way over to the wall.

You flick the selector on the SMAW to the spotting rifle, taking aim at the group of hadjis who dared to shoot at your marine. Shots cracked and whizzed around you as you looked down the sight, pulling the trigger on the weapon. The shot lands short and you adjust, firing the spotting rifle again. It impacts near the sandistanis and you flick the selector back to the rocket.

“CLEAR BACK BLAST!” You order.

“LEFT, RIGHT, BACK BLAST CLEAR!” John shouts.

“ROCKET!” You scream with so much force your voice cracks again.

You fire the rocket and the concussion of the rocket blasts air around, moving everyone's BDUs. The rocket sails towards the target before slamming down square in the middle of the group of enemy goat fuckers. They blow into a million bits, blood spraying all over the tan sand and raining limbs from various combatants.

“Good hit!” John tells you.

“Can you move?!” You ask loudly.

“Yes sarn't!” He yells back.

“Grab me more spotting rifle ammo!” You yell to him. “Move it Marine!”

He gets off the ground and rushes his way back to the dead body of Tommy.

“Is Tommy-”

“He's fucking dead!” You yell back. “Get me that ammo Marine!”

He gets the ammo from Tommy as you load another rocket labeled HEAA.

“Jack, we have trucks coming in!” Ayn yells, looking back at you. “It's gonna get us again!”

Just as you say that, it opens fire, tearing up the side of the building as the hadji built technical rolls up the road. You grip the launcher tight, flicking back to the spotting rifle. You fire and the round impacts the truck, making it switch its attention to you.

“CLEAR THE BACK BLAST! ROCKET!” You yell, not waiting for John to clear it for you.

Another concussive force seems to shake the building as you fire your thunderous death stick at the hadji 'tank'. The round impacts, splitting the truck in half and detonating the ammo.

“Armor down!” John yells. “You got him!”

“One more coming down the road!” You yell, loading a new rocket and seeing it had a recoilless rifle on it. “GET OFF THE BUILDING!”

You rush over to Ayn and Vikna, pulling them both away from cover just as the SPG fires, blowing all 3 of you back. You land on the ground and hear a loud crack, which can't be good. You get up off the roof and look around you, seeing Ayn and Vikna still sitting on the floor. Ayn still had your 240, but Vikna had lost her weapon. You look down at the SMAW and toss it away, having been destroyed by the fall.

“FUCK!” You yell, taking off your helmet and chucking it across the street.

“Sergeant, you still have that AP belt for your gun, don't you?” John asks.

You nod, getting your friends off the floor and shooing them down the stairs.

“Just use that. It's only a techy.” He tells you. “Shouldn't be a problem like that hadji tank was.”

You look down at Ayn, who was looking up at you with confusion. She waves you both down and you pull John down the stairs with you as another SPG shot destroys the cover you were both hiding behind.

“I need my gun.” You tell Ayn when you're down the stairs.

She hands it to you and you open the feed cover, tossing the belt down on the ground and grabbing the belt from a pouch you kept on your hip. You load the belt box into the mount on the side of your gun, setting the belt on the feed tray before slapping the top cover closed. You then begin running down the street, much to your friends dismay.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” Ayn screams.

“Getting closer!” You yell back. “I need a base of fire to keep the infantry suppressed!”

You keep running as you hear gun fire behind you, keeping the infantry's heads down as you continue running for the technical. Your legs feel the burn, but you need to keep going or your friends and Marines would 'die'. You feel bullets impact at your feet and see a hadji hip firing to your right, so you return the favor and spray him with AP. The shots tear him apart and he falls immediately, allowing you to continue towards the technical.

You get within 100 yards of it and see it fire, the shot barely missing you as it hits behind you. Your legs are on fire by now and you drop to the ground, having finally got in range. As you breath heavily, you line the sights up with the truck and pull the trigger. Fuck using bursts, this thing was large enough and close enough you could hose it down with 7.62. The rounds tear through the truck, destroying the engine and the driver before it swerves off the side of the road. You pump more shots into the gunner, watching as he fires a round into orbit before he falls to the bed of the truck. The barrel is steaming by now, beginning to glow as you continue to fire on the truck. You get off the ground and begin walking towards the truck, firing continuously as you begin to shout obscenities at the hunk of metal.

The fire finally ceased as your belt had ran dry, prompting you to chuck the gun at the truck as one final hurrah. The simulation ended there, as you breathe heavily and stare into the seemingly infinite space of cubes. You turn around behind you and see Ayn and Vikna staring at you.

“Jesus...” Is all Ayn says.

“Sorry...I just...I don't know.” You tell them, at a loss for words.

“You got shot 5 times in the back.” Vikna tells you. “How were you still running?”

“I was?” You ask. “I didn't feel anything.”

“I think he was so hopped up on adrenaline he wouldn't have felt it if he lost a leg.” Ayn says, offering an explanation. “We should probably stop for the day, it's getting late and I'm getting tired of these scenarios.”

“Yeah, same here.” You reply.

You were definitely coming back here once you were sure she was asleep. You needed to practice marksmanship while you could, as the battlefield was a very different place here. Mega city combat requires a 7.62 rifle just to reach the windows of buildings and fire down streets. You needed to consistently make 1000 yard shots or you were pretty ineffective in the city.

“Looks like you're staying with us sweetie.” Ayn says.

“Uh, no. I'm not staying here ever again. Your brother is a womanizing pig and I think he wants me to marry him.” Vikna tells you.

“If you leave, mother will shoot you down and capture you with a tractor beam. No ships are allowed to leave at night because of my previous antics.” Ayn says with a smirk.

“I should smack you right now, but that would get nothing done.” She says, gritting her teeth as she rubs the bridge of her nose.

“You just don't want me to sit on you again.” Ayn teases.

“NOT IN FRONT OF HIM!” Vikna shouts.

“Sweetie, if you feel so strongly about Symat, just sleep with us. There's definitely room for one more in our little-”

“NO!” Vikna almost screams. “Just...no.”

“Alright. You know where the guest bedrooms are.” Ayn tells her.

“Fine, I'll sleep there.” Vikna says, crossing her arms, uh, crossly.

You both snicker at that and she exits the room, flustered at you both.

Vikna

You wake up for the third time this night, not able to sleep one bit. The stress of a new war is keeping you from getting a good night's sleep ever since it started a few weeks ago. Maybe a walk around the palace would clear your mind? Maybe, but it's unlikely.

You get out of bed, pulling your bra back on and sighing. You only know 2 people who have smaller boobs than you, that being Zofie and ARA. Even then, ARA never felt like comparing sizes. She's very adamant about keeping her privates, well, private. You remember the fit she threw when you suggested it, and the even bigger fit she threw when you snuck into her room while she was changing. She's such a prude sometimes.

You pull up your panties next, smiling at the thought of your ass. It makes up for your lack of assets up front, being relatively large compared to your small frame. It was also well groomed, which made it much softer than it already was. The couple times you've actually done it, they'd keep groping your ass until they finished. Sometimes they'd even call you soft, which boosted your self esteem immensely. It always made you blush and giggle like a school girl when they did, or it made you very angry when a random stranger says it to you, earning them a smack.

When you get your uniform back on, you flick your hair behind your head and walk out the door, turning down the hallway towards the main entrance area. When you reach it, you turn down the hall to Ayn's room and walk past it, going over towards a terrace at the end of the hallway. Just as you make your way to the VR room, you see Ayn's brother, Symat walk into the hallway, talking to someone on the other side. You quickly open the door and duck inside, watching as it closes behind you. When it seals, you turn around, seeing Jack lying prone in a T-shirt and his camouflage pants.

BANG

A shot goes down a desert range, a small cloud of dust being kicked up by the bullet impacting the sand.

“Fuck!” He shouts. “Get it together Marine!”

You see that he's set a target out at 900 yards, using a rifle that looked identical to the one he used when you both met on Katric. The ancient looking wood rifle. He puts it on a mount and adjusts it, taking a couple shots before looking back through some optical amplifiers.

“You're fucking kidding me. I shot in the exact same fucking place and the shots just fucked off into 2 different post codes!” He yells, obviously upset with his rifle. “Christ. Try the M21.”

A new rifle pops up in front of him and he sets it on the stand, screwing it in place and adjusting the scope. He fires 2 shots before looking through the amplifiers again.

“That's more like it. Barely clipped the target, but it's better than nothing for these fucking whack ass cityscapes. Might have to ask Vikna about getting one of the DMRs that can do 1000 yard shots.” He says, sitting up. “Alright, computer, load up scenario 52.”

“Are you sure? You have taken quite a bit of physical abuse already.” The AI says.

“I SAID LOAD THE SCENARIO!” He shouts angrily.

“As you wish.” The AI responds.

A massive dog pops up in front of Jack as he sits on a chair, fully armored up as he takes a deep and shaky breath.

“Fire.” He says.

The dog levels the rifle with him and fires, throwing him back off the chair as he cries out in pain. You cover your mouth with your hands and gasp, did he just kill himself?

“FUUUCK! FUCKING SHIT!” He screams in agony. “Get up! Your friends are dying around you and you aren't hit! GET UP!”

He struggles to his feet, ripping the plate off his carrier and throwing it down, having cracked in two pieces.

“FIRE AGAIN!” He shouts.

The dog takes out a pistol and fires 3 shots into him, knocking him down again as he grasps his chest. He's crying out in pain now, beginning to sob as he's starting to feel the hurt.

“Oh my fucking god.” He says, getting off the ground. “INTO MY BACK!”

The dog fires 3 more shots into his back and he drops back to the ground, having not seen you by some miracle. He lays face down on the floor, crying from the pain as he gets up and turns back to the dog. He proceeds to disarm the combatant and dump the rest of the magazine into the target.

“It's, fuck, about time.” He says, laying back down on the ground. “Fuck I think I hurt something.”

“You have slight internal and major external bruising. Nothing too serious.” The AI replies. “You should cease these scenarios before you are injured for real.”

“NO! I need to be able to get up when I'm hit! I can't let pain get the better of me!” He shouts. “Go back to the range. I need to practice my marksmanship with a DMR.”

You take a couple steps towards Jack and he sighs.

“I thought I told your perverted ass that I DON'T KNOW WHERE VIKNA-” He shouts before turning around. “-is...hey Vikna.”

“W-what are you doing up so late?” You ask.

“I need to train. If I don't train hard, I may not be able to protect any of you if I get shot.” He tells you. “I can't take the thought of you being dragged off as I'm being shot dead or being beaten senseless. I need to build up my tolerance to pain and I think I have it built up.”

“How long have you been doing this?” She asks.

“I slowed down time in here, so it's only been a few hours for you, but it's been almost a month for me.” He says. “I've been doing combat missions, endurance tests, physical training, and marksmanship training.”

“You've been doing this for almost a month?” You ask. “I didn't think VR rooms came with time dilation, but a month?!”

“Relatively, yes.” He tells you. “What are you doing up?”

“I'm too stressed out.” You reply. “I went for a walk and ran into prince Symat. I didn't want him to see me so I ducked in here.”

“I see. Well, I've been hungry for the past few days now, so I'm gonna go get something to eat. Computer, power down the sim and restore time to a ratio of 1 to 1.” He says.

“Affirmative. Virtual reality room shutting down. Have a nice day.” The AI replies.

He smiles at that and the door opens behind you, allowing both of you to exit the simulation area.

Jack

You're walking down the decorative hallways towards the night kitchen Ayn had told you about. It was basically a kitchen that was open to the denizens of the palace, allowing them to make their own food outside of staff hours. There was an anthroid there that would help people cook whatever they wanted to make. As you and Vikna make it inside, you're greeted by king Sabir, drinking whiskey from a bottle.

“Tell me Jackson, do you know how it feels to lose an entire country to corruption and greed?” He asks.

“I may, sir, but not from a position of power.” You say. “Hey, ma'am, can I have some whiskey as well? 80 proof. More if possible.”

“Jesus, going straight for the strong stuff.” Vikna says. “I'll take some vodka, 80 proof.”

The anthroid hands you both a bottle and some glasses, which both of you leave at the counter. The anthroid groans, putting the shot glasses away as she sits back on a less than ideal seat.

“I've seen numerous corrupt politicians drawing funds from the bank, increasing taxes in their local areas, and driving the masses to work for almost slave like wages. My wife doesn't listen to anything I have to say because 'I'm just a man, what do I know' or something akin to that.” He says, taking another swig.

You feel guilty knowing that his wife cheats on him constantly, taking dick from anyone she can get her hands on. You want to tell him so bad, but you have no idea what consequences that would bring.

“You look like shit. Is that a black eye?” He asks.

“I was in a simulation for about a month.” You tell him. “Building my pain tolerance up and getting marksmanship courses in. I need to be ready to fight in this new urban jungle I've wound up in.”

You take off the cap and take a sip, spitting the disgusting liquid out.

“This tastes like piss!” You yell.

“You need to eat before you drink that alcohol. It goes best with food.” Sabir tells you. “Also, that's a really long time to be inside a simulation for. Are you sure you're not starving?”

“I'm fine. The only thing that changed was my muscle mass, which got a bit higher.” You lie. “But I'll eat anyways.”

Just as you say that, a sandwich is printed in front of you as you look over to the anthroid. She smirks at you and you roll your eyes. Lazy woman. You grab the sandwich and begin wolfing it down, finishing it in under a minute. You wash it down with the alcohol the anthroid gave you, which tasted much better now.

“All these politicians taking money from people who just want to live simple lives, just to line their own pockets with money they don't deserve. I'm not sure whether or not I should thank or punish my daughter for enlightening me to these facts.” He says, taking another drink. “Now these terrorists are bringing out all the war profiteers as well.”

“That's gotta suck.” You tell him. “So you basically have no power or say in the queendom?”

“Nope, all I can do is give gentle nudges to my wife and hope she listens.” He says. “I'm usually away trying to fix her messes while she keeps running the queendom into the ground with her ignorance!”

“Whoa, calm down. People might be listening.” You tell him. “I don't know about you, but she could easily pin your death on me or Vikna if she wanted you dead.”

“You're right. I shouldn't be saying these things.” He says, taking another drink. “How are you and my daughter getting along?”

“Great. She's been giving me some homebrew therapy to help with my PTSD and flashbacks.” You tell him. “We've been making good use of the VR room.”

“That's good. Hopefully she'll stay in place this time.” He tells you. “Though, I doubt it's going to do anything but delay the inevitable. She's a free spirit and nobody is going to stop her.”

“Speaking of which, I should probably go and check on her.” You tell him. “I kind of abandoned her when she fell asleep and she could be having nightmares again.”

“I'll stay here and talk with Sabir. Maybe prince Symat won't harass me if I'm talking to his dad.” She says.

You nod, walking out the door.

15 minutes later.

You make it to Ayn's room and hear gentle sobbing coming from the other side of the door.

“Fine, just do it then.” Ayn says, having absolutely no will to live left in her voice. “If it's for Siania, just do it.”

“I'm sorry princess, please understand that I only want what's best for our nation. The corruption and greed has deeply rooted itself in our politics and we need to make an example.” A man says. “Just close your eyes and it will be a painless death.”

“No...” You say to yourself. “NO!”

You yank open the door to her room, drawing your pistol and startling the two figures inside.

“W-what?!” He asks.

The weapon he was holding is pointed at you and you fire 3 rounds into him, the bangs echoing off the walls and the hallway. A whine is heard over the ringing in your ear as you make your way over to the would be assassin. You dump the rest of the magazine in his head, blowing his brains out all over the floor. You hear a click and see the slide locked open, gritting your teeth. You begin to stomp his head in, not convinced that 4 rounds of .45 ACP were enough. You continue stomping, your face tensing up into a face of pure unadulterated rage. When you're done, you take your boot off the bloody mess that used to be the assassins face as the lights flick back on, blinding you temporarily.

“Y-you-”

“We heard gun shots! What's going-OH MY GOD!” Vikna shouts. “WHO IS THAT?!”

“An assassin.” Ayn says. “I can't believe what you did Jackson.”

“Ayn-”

“You abandoned me...” She says, looking up at you.

“Ayn...” You say.

“I trusted you and you left me.” She says, gritting her teeth. “I made you taller and was always there for you, and you just left me.”

“A-Ayn...” You try to say.

“You betrayed me. I was so scared and you left me alone to be killed. I thought you were different.” She tells you. “I thought you could help me root out this corruption, but you abandoned me to go and have fun in the VR room.”

You feel a wave of calm wash over you, just shaking your head as you grab your things off the bedroom floor. You've heard enough.

“Where do you think you're going?” She asks.

“That's where this is going, isn't it?” You ask. “You kicking me out?”

“You don't know what I'm going to say.” She says, no longer having any respect for you in her voice. “Don't put words in my mouth.”

“Well I'm leaving.” You tell her. “All I can do right now is say I'm sorry and hope you see it in your heart to forgive me.”

She just lays back down on the bed, looking up at the ceiling as you leave the room.

“Wait.” She says. “Look at me.”

You turn back and look over at her and you drop your bags immediately. Her eyes were full of panic and she looks off to the side before blinking, returning to her annoyed state.

“Ears.” You tell everyone. “Cover them.”

You load a fresh magazine into the pistol and take aim at a cylindrical device sitting by her lamp. Everyone behind you covers their ears and you grit your teeth, looking at Ayn.

“Wait, what are you doing?!” She asks, getting up from the bed. “STOP!”

“GET OUT OF MY FRIEND!” You scream, taking the shot.

BANG

The device sparks and Ayn begins to spasm on the bed, screaming and screeching in pain. She eventually stops and begins hyperventilating, taking deep breaths as she looks over to you.

“That-huff-wasn't me.” She says. “I'm sorry.”

“What was it?” You ask. “It looks similar to what I saw next to the queen.”

“It amplifies all your negative emotions and suppresses your true personality, sort of like ghetto mind control. It takes hours to program to someone's brain, as most people have a high resistance to brain tampering, so it's usually installed in someone's sleep. It's very loud and causes great pain, but the person being inducted needs to have a very strong will to even slightly resist it. I found an opening in the suppression of my personality and took it to ask for help.” Ayn explains.

“So, you were really angry at me?” You ask.

“Well, of course I was. You left me to go have fun, but I assume you were just playing around in VR and weren't doing anything heinous.” She tells you. “Especially when you have someone like me willing to give myself up for you~.”

“What? No!” You yell. “I slowed down time and started training in VR.”

“Oh, well that's good. What did you do?” She asks. “Wait, is that a black eye?”

“Pain tolerance training, marksmanship, combat missions, more marksmanship, lots of marksmanship. Pretty much three weeks of marksmanship.” You reply.

“You were in there getting yourself beat up for a month?” Ayn asks.

“Yes.” You tell her with a straight face. “I also got really acquainted with my rifle.”

Ayn just looks at you in disbelief, getting off her bed and walking over to you.

“Why?” She asks.

“I need to be able to get back up off the floor if I'm knocked down.” You tell her. “I was never really any good at close quarters.”

“Wait, did you say that there was one by mother?” Ayn asks.

“Yeah, it looked like a Bluetooth speaker, so I didn't really think much of it.” You tell her.

“Dad, we need to save mother!” Ayn yells, running for the door.

“Wait!” You yell. “She's gonna know what's up if you come in there with Sabir. It was by a window, right?”

“Yes.” She tells you.

“Then I'll just shoot it through the window.” You tell her.

“Windows are bullet proof. You won't make it through them with anything you have.” Ayn tells you, looking down at your LAWs before looking back at you. “At least, nothing that won't kill mother in the process.”

“What if we just walk in and I shoot the thing next to her?” You ask. “She's still awake, right?”

“She stays up at night most of the time and sleeps during the day.” Ayn replies. “We'll never make it past her guards though. They'll tear us to pieces before we even get past.”

“Not if they can't move.” You say, smiling at Vikna. “You remember how you froze me in place back at The Tower?”

“Y-yes.” She says, looking off to the side.

“Think you could do that to multiple people?” You ask.

“Yes, but it's not as strong all the way out here. I might be able to freeze 6, maybe 7 guys before I'm exhausted.” She tells you. “Takes a lot out of me to do that.”

You nod and look back to Ayn.

“Looks like we have a plan.” You tell everyone, grabbing your M21. “Let's save the queen.”

30 minutes later

You're all standing in the main hallway, going back over the plan.

“Vikna, you try and freeze as many guys as you possibly can. Ayn, you keep everyone off me so I can take the shot. If anyone gets in my way, I'm going to take the shot anyways. Stay out of my line of fire.” You tell everyone. “Sabir should be in there chatting up Kesis right now. Is everyone ready?”

“Ready.” Ayn says.

“I'm ready.” Vikna says, making a couple balls of ice.

“Alright, let's do this.” You say, racking a round into your rifle. “Ayn, kick the door.”

She grips her staff tight and bringing a foot to the door slamming it against the door.

“Your highness, we're here to relieve you of your crown.” You say. “Vikna, now!”

A blast of icy magic shoots shoots from her fingers as she begins freezing men to the floor as they desperately try to break free. 2 guards make it past the hail of ice and Ayn dispatches them quickly, knocking them out cold.

“What?!” She asks, watching as you take aim with your rifle.

“Jack LOOK OUT!” Vikna shouts.

You feel a sharp pain in your left hand side and cry out in pain, balancing on your rifle. It's a miracle you don't fall over, feeling your muscles lock up as you're tased by a spear. You need to get up, your friends need you. There's no room in the plan for a fuck up like this. You use every ounce of your strength to get off the ground and turn around, seeing a very stunned looking jackal staring you in the face.

“GIVE ME THAT!” You shout, taking his spear away and slamming it over his head.

You turn back around, still a bit shaky from the electricity. You need a moment to steady yourself.

“Jack, I don't mean to rush you, but the blue guard are breaking free!” Ayn yells. “Take the shot!”

Kesis has her hands up above her head and you aim at the Alexa knockoff next to her, which confuses her at first.

“Wait, HE KNOWS! NO!” Kesis shouts.

You give the trigger a clean and crisp pull feeling the rifle kick you back as a round explodes out the barrel. When you put the rifle down, the device is sparking and the queen is screaming in pain, writhing in her seat as she is released from the spell of the device.

“I NEVER SHOULD HAVE TRUSTED YOU! TRAITOROUS AMERICANS SHOULD NEVER BE TRUSTED!” She screams as she continues to writhe. “YOU RUINED EVERYTHING!”

You stand at attention with your rifle at your side, gun smoke stilling trickling out of the barrel. The queen raises her hand and you feel something grip your neck beginning to choke you.

“I WILL KILL YOU IF IT IS THE LAST THING I DO!” She screams.

You drop the rifle and grasp your neck, feeling yourself being choked out by Kesis as whatever was controlling her manages to hang on long enough to allow her to kill you. Just then, Sabir grits his teeth and growls.

“ENOUGH WOMAN!” He yells, delivering a heavy slap to her snout.

She yelps in pain and drops you, allowing you to breathe deeply as you recover from oxygen deprivation. You wave your hand around on the floor finding your rifle and grabbing it, using it to stand up.

“W-what?” Kesis asks. “Am I free? Is this me talking right now?”

“Yes my love, you're free.” Sabir tells her.

“By the gods, I'm free!” She yells as she takes Sabir into her arms. “Baby, come to mama!”

“She hasn't called me that since I was 5...” Ayn says. “Mother!”

Ayn drops her staff and runs over to her mother as you smile warmly. You felt weak, tired, and still a bit hungry, but none of that mattered right now. You just saved a woman from over 22 years of imprisonment. Best part of it all, nobody died and it looked cool as fuck.

“I love it when a plan comes together.” You say, grabbing a cigar out of your pocket and lighting it up.

You cough a bit at the smoke when it enters your lungs, but it doesn't matter. You saved the day and nobody died.

“Young man, Jackson. Please come to me.” She says, waving you to her.

You nod, making your way to her as you use your rifle like a cane. When you make it to the queen, you fall to your knees, unable to stand.

“You don't need to kneel soldier.” She says. “I'm not cruel like that...thing you saw before.”

“I'm too tired to stand, your highness.” You say, attempting to do so before falling back to your knees.

“Well, I need to thank you for everything. Even in the face of insurmountable odds, you managed to make it here and save me from the clutches of that device that trapped me for so long. I also apologize for making such a fool of you, please understand that was only the deepest and darkest part of me. I would never do such a thing in a sober state of mind.” She says, apologizing for herself.

“I don't know what to say your highness. I think I'm gonna pass out though.” You say, feeling yourself tip over.

You fall onto the floor and fall asleep almost immediately.

4 hours later

Ayn

You sit down in your bed, watching Jack and Vikna sleep together on the massive bed you had. She had wrapped her arms around him earlier and he was spooked by it, but eventually relaxed into it. They were both so tired and so were you. However, news of your mother being freed spread quickly, causing civil unrest in all of the sectors as corruption was exposed throughout the queendom. You knew you didn't need to be ready, but you weren't going to let someone else fight your battles for you.

Just as you think that, gunfire erupts outside and you see Jack seem to relax. This is what calmed him?! After all this time trying to calm him by normal means, gunfire and explosions is what calmed him?! You get up and turn off the hard light window, looking out of your terrace to see guards holding off a massive wave of men with weapons of greatly varying...varieties. One of the soldiers looks up at you and waves.

“Don't worry princess! We can hold them! Just get some sleep!” He yells up, trying to comfort you.

An explosion throws him down to the ground and he gets up, dusting himself off.

“We're fine!” He yells. “Just rest!”

You go back inside and close the hard light window as well as the heavy steel doors to your terrace, hoping to keep some of the sound out. It does, but only to an extent. You can still hear the screams of the people still loyal to the old queen, insisting she was replaced by a false double or an anthroid. You had no idea this would cause so much devastation and violence. Just as you think that, a massive explosion shakes the palace, throwing you to the ground.

“FUCK!” You hear come from the bed. “WE'RE UNDER ATTACK!”

“You noticed?!” You ask sarcastically.

“Don't give me any shit private! Where's the rest of your platoon?!” He asks, getting out of bed and stepping into his boots.

“Platoon?” You ask.

Then, you get a glimpse in his eye. Lights are on but nobody's home. He waves you off the floor and hands you a rifle, which you take tentatively. Was he sleep walking? Was he on auto pilot? What is he doing? Just as you think that, a jackal enters the room and gives you a slight bow.

“Princess, there's no time! We need to get you to the safe room! Armor has breached the inner wall!” He tells you.

“Easy there terminal lance, where's the anti armor?” Jack asks.

“I don't take orders from you.” The jackal tells him. “Who the hell are you?”

Bad move. Jack grabs the collar of the jackal and raises him up off the floor. You take the opportunity to stuff the rifle under your bed, not wanting to shoot anyone you didn't need to.

“I'm the man who's gonna punch your ticket if you don't step in line Lance Corporal! Now tell me what the fuck happened to the anti armor?!” He asks angrily.

The jackal looks at you with fear in his eyes and you nod. The jackal looks back at the angry man and smiles gently.

“I-it got blown up.” He says. “Sorry sir-”

“STAFF SERGEANT!” He shouts. “I work for a living! Now, I have some laws on my backpack, I'll need cover before I can get in position to use them. Think you can do that short stuff?”

“Y-yes Staff Sergeant.” He says, Jack letting the poor guy go and scamper off.

“Private, you're on me. Don't worry about the Colonel, nobody is getting to her.” He tells you. “Let's get moving.”

He picks up his bag and takes the 4 tubes off the back, putting 2 over each shoulder. As he runs to the front of the palace, you look along the halls to see nurses attending to the wounded. They cry out in pain, holding their hands out to you as you're forced to pass them by. Your people, they're suffering because of your decision. You needed to make it right somehow. You needed to end this war.

You both make it outside and tracers begin flying past you as Jack pulls 2 handles out of the bottom of the tube. He depresses the trigger and a massive laser shoots out of the front of the weapon, leading him to dispose of the tube.

“Ayn, are you okay?” He asks, looking back at you.

“What?” You ask.

“Ayn, wake up!” He yells.

“W-what?” You ask.

You feel yourself being shaken and open your eyes, seeing a blurry figure in front of you as your eyes adjust to the light. You blink a couple of times and see Vikna sitting on the end of your bed, looking very worried.

“See, I told you she was fine.” Jack says.

You don't see him anywhere until you look above you, seeing him looking down on you. You were in his lap.

“I wasn't worried.” Vikna says, looking off to the side. “You were worried.”

You smirk at that knowing that she must've been concerned too. You lean your head back into him, letting out a content sigh before feeling his hand on your head. He begins scratching between your ears and you push into his hands, loving the sensation of receiving pets. It was almost as if a primal urge was being sated inside you. Just as you begin to close your eyes again, Vikna clears her throat.

“So, what was that thing you were going to ask Ayn?” Vikna asks.

“Oh, uh, I ran out of cigars and want to go into town. You think we could do that?” He asks. “The one that I had burnt out and it was the last one I owned.”

“You don't have any credits sweetie.” You tell him with a smirk.

“Just like you didn't have any dollars on earth, 'sweetie'.” He tells you, returning the smirk. “A box of cigars sounds like a pretty small price to pay for a couple months rent, food, and water.”

He has you there. You and the rest of your friends were allowed to stay there for free and he never asked for help around the house. Maybe your mother would allow you to go down to the local town for that? They didn't serve any good alcohol here either, so maybe you could buy some booze that wasn't fine wine and dumpster whiskey. Who knows, maybe you might even sneak into a bar after you “persuade” the guards.

“I guess we could.” You say. “We should wait-”

“Already asked your mother.” He says. “She says she's cool with it as long as we're back for a party she's hosting in your honor.”

“She is?” You ask before remembering you basically freed her from a mind prison. “Oh, that's right. Guess it's time to break out the old limo I never got to use.”

“You have a limo?” Vikna asks you. “Why'd you never use it when we came to visit?”

“Because...” You say, getting up. “Mother never let me out of the palace until just now. Never trusted my 'slutty self' to ever be up to any good. Though she was right about half the time.”

“Well, that settles it. I'll go pick out some cigars and wait for you two to finish shopping.” He says. “Don't go telling me you won't either. I know you will.”

“Why? Because we're women?” Vikna asks.

“No, because you're girls.” He replies.

“You've been spending too much time with Ayn!” Vikna yells indignantly.

“I'm not a girl sweetie, I'm a lady~.” You tell him seductively as you rub the side of his torso.

“Hey, you know I'm not about that. You're two for three now.” He tells you. “Don't need it becoming three for four.”

“You're nearly as bad as ARA.” You tell him with a chuckle. “At least you don't resist violently like she does.”

“Please tell me you haven't tried to force her.” He says, his tone changing to one of concern.

“Not so much force as ask Nytro to go for it. He came out with a nasty cut over his chest. Didn't even get his pants off. ” You tell him.

You feel him tense up at that, inhaling sharply.

“I think I should get dressed.” He says, hurrying off the bed and leaving your head to flop on the mattress.

You giggle at that and see Vikna smirk as well, watching as he leaves.

Jack

20 minutes later

You look one last time in the mirror and see you've started growing a stubble. You'll need to find your razor soon or you'll start looking like shit. When you exit the bathroom, Ayn is dressed in some sort of grey dress that was similar to ARAs. Guess she really did give her the dress. You follow her out to the entrance hall where her mother was waiting, a disapproving glare adorning her face. Did you walk her into a trap? Ayn's ears fold down and her tail goes limp, indicating she sees it too.

When you reach her, Kesis crosses her arms and looks up at Ayn. She then laughs, putting a hand on her daughter's shoulder.

“I'm joking baby. Go out and have fun.” She says with a smile. “Can you get me some Gulafto's brew too? The wine in here is absolutely dreadful.”

“Sure mother-”

“Call me mom sweetheart. Mother sounds too, uh, is it still uncool?” She asks.

“You made it uncool by saying it.” Ayn says before laughing. “Thanks mom, I'll remember.”

You all walk outside and see the massive hovering machine sitting there, your translator making out Princess Ayn Kerroi Miyur before the rest becomes an undecipherable mess. However, you memorized the entire thing for a meme.

“Princess Ayn Kerroi Miyur of Siania, Herald of the People, Harbringer of the Star and Water, and Beacon of the Internal Flame.” You tell her in an over the top voice. “Did I miss something?”

“It's harbinger sweetie.” Ayn tells you, smirking at you.

“Fuck, I always say harbringer.” You tell her. “Completely forgot your middle name was Kerroi.”

“What's your middle name?” She asks, looking back towards the massive hovering contraption.

“Halifax. Same name as my grandpa. He was a teacher.” You tell her.

“I thought you said your grandpa was a veteran like you.” She replies, opening the door.

“Oh, I couldn't do that to you. Here, let me hold it.” You say, taking the door from her.

“Oh, uh, thanks?” She says, giving you an odd look.

“Shit, I just did something rude, didn't I?” You ask.

“No, I've just never had someone take the door for me.” She says, looking off to the side.

“Ayn...” You say, giving her a look.

“Okay, it might be a little rude.” She tells you.

“Jesus, I'm sorry.” You tell her. “It's just really bad manners to let a lady hold the door. As you said, you're a lady and not a girl.”

“I did say that, didn't I?” She asks.

“Can you two quit talking? It's fucking hot out here.” Vikna says. “I swear to god if I ever have to come back here it will be too soon.”

You wave Ayn in and she smiles, stepping inside. Vikna was not as pleasant, appearing to be in another one of her moods. She gets inside and you step in, electing to sit next to Vikna. She seems pleased by this, until Ayn decides to scoot both of you over and sit on your right. Vikna gives her a mean look and Ayn puts a finger on her nose.

“If you guys are going to do this, I'm sitting by the driver.” You tell them.

Ayn removes her finger from Vikna and she sticks her tongue out, blowing a raspberry. Ayn sighs, looking off to the side as the limo begins moving.


	7. Chapter 6: Always Faithful

You're sitting in the middle of a store that looks way too old to be on a street as high tech as this. It was a drug store ran by an old looking rat. Friendly guy who pointed a gun at you when you entered. Nearly made you shit yourself. When you explained you were just here to buy cigars, he relaxed and put the weapon away. Told you that there were riots last night, not that you could tell by the state of the street. You put the credit card up to the reader and it draws the money.

“Wait, this says Ayn Miyur on it. You're not the princess.” He says.

“I'm a friend of hers. She's out shopping with one of her friends.” You tell him, taking out 2 cigars. “You smoke?”

“No.” He tells you. “It's terrible for you.”

“Neither did I before I came here.” You tell him. “Name's Jack, what's yours?”

“I am Sentil Ramakalao. Resident business rat, at your service.” He tells you.

“Nice name. You know a place where I can acquire some firearms that aren't made of wood?” You ask, shaking the rifle on your back a bit.

“That is a gun?” He asks, reaching under the counter.

“I'm a Marine, I need my rifle to keep me safe. Especially since you mentioned the riots.” You tell him. “I won't take it out.”

He relaxes and you take out a Zippo, flicking it open and sticking a cigar in your mouth. You grab the credit card and stuff it in your pocket, walking back towards the door. You exit the shop, watching as the door slides open to reveal a scarcely populated street. You smile at the emptiness, meaning you won't have to worry about Ayn getting mobbed. A jackal sees you as you light up your cigar, leaning against the drug store.

“Hey, you're that human from Katric, aren't you?” She asks.

“Who's asking?” You ask suspiciously.

“A grateful citizen.” She tells you. “We've been living off of 100 credits a month and now we can go back to our small house and live our lives in peace.”

“Well, your princess did quite a bit of the work. I didn't do much to help her.” You lie.

“Ah, I see. Please give her my thanks when you see her.” She says, walking back the way she came.

You nod and look back across the street, seeing a combination bar and strip club across the way. You're tired of being the hero, that's not who you are. You're just a soldier doing your job. Men exit the bar across the way and you hear loud electronic music mixed with whooping and cheering come from inside. At least Ayn was having fun. Just as you think that, 2 more guys get thrown out of the bar by the body guards.

“No touching the dancers!” They yell.

“Fuck you!” The 2 cheetahs yell in unison.

You chuckle and take a drag of your cigar, coughing a bit as you exhale. Fucking kids don't know how to keep their hands to themselves. They begin grumbling and cross the street, passing you by as they enter the drug store. You hear yelling come from inside and groan, drawing your pistol and entering the double sliding doors again. You see one of the cheetahs pointing a gun at the cashier and walk up behind him.

“Don't turn around or I'll kill you.” You tell him.

“W-what?” He asks, beginning to turn around.

“I said don't turn around.” You tell him, pressing the gun against his head.

“H-hey man, what do you want with me? I don't got no money on me.” He tells you, the other cheetah having bolted.

“Drop your gun and leave this town.” You tell him.

“W-what? I live here.” He tells you.

“Not anymore you don't. Hit the road Joe.” You tell him. “Drop the weapon.”

You chomp down on the cigar, getting annoyed with his unintentional noncompliance. He drops the gun and you turn him around, pushing him towards the door before it opens automatically. He rushes off down the road, not even looking back as he's gone like a shot. You turn back into the shop and crouch on the ground, picking up the weapon and looking it over. Same model as Viknas pistol, in fact, it IS her pistol. You put it in your pocket and give the shop keep a quick salute, having not dropped your cigar the entire time.

2 hours later

You finally finish the cigar, tossing it on the ground and stomping it out before spitting out the tobacco. Ayn and Vikna exit the bar, Vikna looking around frantically for something.

“That fucking bastard stole my gun and ran!” She yells. “That was my dad's!”

You cross the street, taking her gun from your pocket as you do. When they both see you, Viknas eyes go wide when she sees the gun.

“Where?!” She asks.

“Found it on some bastard who tried to rob a drug store.” You tell her, handing her the weapon. “Shot off like a rocket when I told him to fuck off.”

“Well...thanks.” She says. “I appreciate it.”

“It was nothing.” You tell her. “Speaking of thanks, Ayn, some lady told me to give you her thanks for freeing her from the oppression of taxes.”

“That's nice. Did you tell her you did most of the work?” She asks.

“I told her you did. I'm no hero and I don't want to be celebrated as one.” You tell her.

“Right...” Ayn says, opening the door.

You get inside and watch as Vikna takes a seat next to you, Ayn sitting to your right before the door closes automatically.

“You missed a hell of a show.” She tells you. “Everyone loves it when I come to town. Even tried my hand at singing and...well...let's just say it wasn't very good.”

“She can't sing. Please don't make me listen to it again.” Vikna says, laying back in the seat.

“I've heard you sing in the shower sweetie. I think you would've been a much better partner than miss cold blooded here.” Ayn says, thumbing towards Vikna.

“Public boners aren't really my thing.” You tell her. “I'd love to see you perform live, but I don't think anyone would miss the bulge-”

“STOP!” Vikna yells. “Stop talking about your dick like that!”

You shake your head and lay back. You had transferred a couple of songs to your ear piece from your tablet. You might try and sing a couple on the way to the spaceport Vikna landed at.

3 hours later

You're strapped into the seat nearest to the cockpit, hearing Vikna get an earful from who you can only assume is one of her crew. You've already made it into orbit and Vikna is waiting for the orbit to complete before going into FTL. She's been experiencing glitches in the navigation software the entire ride up, due to her going through a nebula created by a recent supernova. You asked her why she thought that was a good idea and she didn't answer.

“Alright, we're going into FTL in 3...2...1...wait, what the fuck?” She asks.

You feel the craft lurch and hear Vikna frantically pushing buttons.

“Uh, that's not good.” She says.

“What?” You ask, unbuckling yourself.

“We're on a course for Vex.” She tells you. “I can't stop the shuttle.”

“Can you contact anyone?” You ask.

“No.” She replies. “Nebula dust is blocking coms again.”

“Well, we should land and try to clean the shuttle. We need to get back to secure Katric.” You tell her.

You get up and walk over to the cabin, seeing the shuttle exit FTL and reveal a planet that looked remarkably similar to Earth. Your coms immediately pick up radio chatter.

“Contacts front! Lance corporal, keep that fifty firing!” A man yells.

“Lance corporal?” You ask.

“I got more men coming in to the right! How's ammo looking?!” Another man asks.

“400 rounds over here!” Yet another man yells.

“Those are humans!” You yell. “Take us next to that signal!”

“WHAT?!” Vikna asks. “We're cleaning the ship off and leaving!”

“I am not leaving men to their death!” You yell, getting on the radio. “Who the hell is this? What's your position soldiers?”

“Holy shit, we got a new radio contact! Identify yourself!” He yells, more gunfire coming in.

“Staff Sergeant Haigs of the United States Marine Corps. Who's the officer in charge?” You ask.

“Holy shit we got an NCO! We're saved!” They yell. “He'll know what to do!”

You get off coms and walk up to Vikna, gritting your teeth.

“Take us the fuck down or I'll do it myself.” You tell her. “Don't make me ask again.”

“Fine. If this shuttle gets damaged, we're fucking stranded.” She tells you.

30 minutes later

The shuttle hatch opens and you clear the area around the rear of it, waving Vikna out. She gave you a portable radio that had the encryption codes on it. The odd thing was, half the radios didn't use encryption. You get on coms and press the push to talk button.

“Where are you?” You ask. “We hear gunfire but we need to know where you're shooting.”

“We're triangulating your signal right now. Got it! We're about a mile west of your position!” One of the unencrypted radios tells you. “Hurry sarge!”

You take out your compass and point yourself west, beginning to jog towards the target. Vikna was hot on your tail, a pistol in one hand and her hat in another. It kept falling off when she ran, so she elected to keep it in her left hand. You both break out into a sprint as you hear explosions go off, seeing men in the distance.

“Closing on your rear Alpha. Watch your fire.” You tell them.

You see one turn around and wave you over as you take out your M21. When you get within 25 yards, you stop dead in your tracks and just stare. Soldiers from all different eras are sitting in front of you, all of them enlisted men. Soldiers from the Civil War, World War one and two, Korea, Vietnam, and even gulf war. There was exactly one modern soldier there and he was Army wearing UCP. You rush up to their position and hit the dirt behind the raised piece of land.

“STATUS!” You shout over the gun fire.

“We don't know what the fuck is going on! Our Humvee was teleported through a vortex and we ended up here!” The UCP adorned soldier tells you. “We're all kinds of fucked sarge!”

“My jeep came through and we've been pinned here for a while too!” The Army boot from WWII pipes up. “We're not able to make an effective resistance because none of us know what the fuck to do!”

“Who's the next in command?!” You ask.

“You are Sergeant!” The UCP soldier tells you.

“Who was in charge before we got here?!” You ask, clarifying your previous question.

“That would be lance corporal Smith over there! Our Humvee gunner!” He tells you. “He doesn't know what the hell to do either!”

“Fuck, Vikna, you got any ideas?” You ask.

“N-no! I'm not infantry, I do ship on ship combat!” She tells you.

“Why the hell are Marines paired up with Army?” You ask. “What the hell happened?”

A grenade lands next to you with a thud and your eyes go wide, taking it in your hand and chucking it back as hard as you can. The grenade explodes just as it crests over the burm. You hear the M2 thumping away as another weapon you don't recognize fires along with it.

“Right now isn't the best time Sergeant!” He tells you. “Is there any way we can get the hell out of here?!”

“How many are we up against soldier?!” You ask, inching up the burm.

“A platoon sized element moving at us from the west! We gotta move before we get fucked!” He tells you.

You get to the crest of the burm and take up a shooting position, seeing a bunch of irregulars bearing down on everyone.

“GET YOUR ASSES UP HERE AND OPEN FIRE!” You shout. “OPEN FIRE!”

The entire squad sized element moves up the burm and begins opening fire with rifles of varying types and actions. A musket type, a Springfield, an M1, an M14, and a few M16s from various eras. You all fire and begin cutting into the enemy as their shots fall short or go long. Lasers impact the dirt in front of you and you curse under your breath.

“FOCUS THOSE LASERS!” You shout. “THE GLOWING GUNS!”

The Civil war Marine gets the first laser rifle man while the WWI soldier gets the other. The irregulars halt their advance, having not expected a coordinated resistance from so few men. Fire continues to pour in from the tree line in front of you, but you're laying it on thick yourself. Your M21 is picking off targets left and right as if it was aiming itself. All that time in VR really was worth it. You end up dry and get below the burm.

“RELOADING!” You yell.

“COVERING!” The UCP soldier replies.

You rack a new magazine in and stuff the used one inside the ammo pouch, crawling your way back up before chambering a round. You continue to pick off more targets as the wall of accurate fire whittles away more and more combatants. The fire begins to thin before eventually stopping, the men who were left from the platoon beginning to retreat. This allows everyone to breathe for a second.

“Everyone get to your vehicles! We're withdrawing and moving to the shuttle!” You tell them.

“Shuttle?” UCP asks.

“You heard me. Mount up!” You tell him.

15 minutes later

You all make it back to the shuttle and dismount the vehicles, waving everyone inside the ship.

“GET IN THE SPACE SHIP! GO GO GO!” You tell them, waving them all in.

Everyone rushes inside the open back of the shuttle, filling up the seats slowly before everyone is inside. You cover the driver of the jeep and Humvee as they drive into the back of the shuttle before Vikna rushes inside. You get inside the shuttle and hit the close button on the door, looking out as the door closes.

“Everyone's in! Punch it!” You yell.

“I'm on it!” She yells.

The ship lurches as the Lance corporal exits the Humvee, watching out the window as the planet retreats from away from all of you.

“Holy shit, are we in a plane?” He asks.

“Even better Terminal Lance.” You tell him. “It's a space ship.”

The Civil War Marine looks out the window and is in awe as the sky slowly darkens into a black cloud with stars marking the sky. The Marine from World War one looks back at you and chuckles.

“We in some kind'a flyin' machine?” He asks, having been too preoccupied to hear you say it was a space ship.

“We're in space Marine. Outer space.” You tell him.

“Jesus H. Christ we're in space like John Glenn.” One of the Vietnam soldiers says. “I feel like an astronaut.”

“We ready for the FTL jump back to Katric?” You ask Vikna.

“Yeah, I finally got the shit cleaned off the shuttle. It's gonna take us about an hour to get back to my ship though. Have to fly around the supernova.” She replies.

“Is she a fucking commie?” The Korean war Marine asks.

“No, she's a space cat from planet space Russia. They're good people.” You tell him. “No communism here.”

“So communism is gone?” He asks.

“Pretty much.” You tell him. “Alright guys, sound off. Need a name, rank, age, and year you came from.”

“Parker Adrian, Private, 18, 1864.” He tells you. “Union Marine at your service Sergeant.”

“Lewis Downes, Private First Class, 21, 1918.” The WWI Marine tells you. “US Marine at your service. Oorah Sergeant.”

“Daniel Argus, Private First Class, 18, 1951.” The Korean war Marine says. “I'm here for you Staff Sergeant.”

“Sam Lyle, Private, 18 if you're asking professionally, 17 if you're asking a friend. 1970.” One of the Vietnam soldiers tells you. “Ready to git some commies.”

“Dave Peterson, Private First Class, 19, 1945.” The WWII Marine tells you. “From Iwo Jima to Okinawa, I was there, sarn't.”

“Keith Daniels, Private First Class, 23, 1972.” The Vietnam Marine says. “Hope you don't NJP me too, already cost me Lance Corporal.”

“Seth Delmonico, Private First Class, 18, 1991.” He tells you. “Was steaming through Iraq when I saw a sort of disk swallow my ass up. Glad you came for us Staff Sergeant.”

“Danny Senovo, Private First Class, 20, 1968.” The other Vietnam Marine tells you. “Ready to fuck up some space gooks sarn't.”

“Peter Decker, Lance Corporal, 21, 2003.” The Lance Corporal tells you. “1st Marines sir, found this fucker sitting on the side of the road and tried to help, but the portal sucked our asses through.”

“Ben Darsen, Private, 20, 2009.” The UCP soldier tells you. “Don't even know how I ended up in Baghdad.”

“Senk Graham, Private First Class, 19, 2005.” A Marine tells you. “Oorah, let's get some sarn't.”

“Chuck Euler, Private, 17, 1945.” An Airborne soldier tells you. “My jeep got pulled through a portal in the armor column. Some action comics shit, sarn't.”

“Jackson Haigs, Staff Sergeant, 27, 2023.” You tell them. “Came in through a portal to save my friends. The woman in the cockpit is Kavkor, er, Colonel Vikna Ramenskaya, 24. She's the Captain of the vessel we're steaming towards.”

“Holy shit, 2023?” Seth asks. “They got flying cars yet?”

“No, just really nice cars with GPS and touch screens.” You tell him. “They have flying cars here though.”

“They technically hover.” Vikna tells you from the cockpit.

“Focus on flying, will you? Don't need you flying us into a black hole or some shit.” You tell her.

“I'm very sorry about asking this, but what in the world is a 'car'?” Parker asks.

“A horseless carriage.” You tell him. “An engine that runs off a derivative of Kerosene. That stuff you put in your lamps. Really fast too.”

“Amazing. Is that what these things are?” He asks, pointing to the jeep and Humvee. “I just thought they were magic.”

“Well when you see what it looks like inside Viknas ship, you'll have a fit.” You tell him. “Don't hold your breath. That goes for all of you. If the robots want to fuck you, let them. You've probably all had a rough day. Don't mind the fur.”

“Isn't this bestiality?” Daniel asks.

“Sorry, I forget that not everyone likes furry women.” You reply. “Alright, if you got any food, eat it now. I don't know what the situation is back at the ship and I don't need you all fighting on empty stomachs. Share MREs with the old guys if you can spare them.”

1 hour later

“Alright, check your weapons and ammo, we don't know what's waiting for us on the other side!” You yell out, checking and seeing you had 3 mags left for your M21.

Everyone says they're good in one form or another and you walk up to the cockpit, seeing the shuttle begin to slow down.

“Alright, we're here. Just gotta slow down and...” Vikna says before she's met with something that makes her stop in her tracks. “Oh god...”

Just as you drop out of FTL, you see Viknas ship get destroyed, blowing into 5 distinct pieces as a shell passes straight through a structural weak spot.

“-Five nine, we have left the ship! All Apex units are aboard and safe, returning to the surface.” Fluff says over coms. “We have a ship dropping out of FTL.”

“Fluff, what the fuck happened?” You ask, getting on coms.

“Where the hell have you been?!” He asks angrily. “We waited 2 days for you!”

“I was stuck dealing with a problem!” You tell him.

“Well we just got through the last gap in their defenses, so you're fucked if you try and come back down the way we did. The Tower has closed itself off as well, nobody in or out.” He says.

“Well, we'll figure something. We always do.” You tell him. “Haigs out.”

You get off the radio and see Vikna looking back at you with hatred in her eye.

“If we get out of this, I never want to see you again.” She tells you. “Ever.”

You nod, understanding that she would never want to see you again. This was your fault after all. You point to a ship over there and she nods, understanding what you wanted to do. You walk back into the shuttle's passenger compartment and whistle, getting everyone's attention.

“Marines, soldiers, we're going to be doing what we were trained for back in the old days of the revolution. We're boarding a ship.” You tell them. “I don't know how many people in there are just captured civilians and crew members, so only fire on anyone I fire on. It's pretty safe to say I know who to shoot.”

“Do we have a plan of attack Sarge?” Seth asks.

“No.” You reply solemnly. “We'll be playing this by ear. Adrian, are you going to be okay with that rifle of yours?”

“Sergeant, I don't know if I could conserve ammo if I was given one of your fancy repeaters.” He tells you.

You take your M16 off your back and affix the bayonet, handing him the rifle and magazine bandoleer. He takes the rifle in his hand, looking it over as he feels the hand guard.

“It feels like a toy.” He tells you.

Sam chuckles at that, holding his own M16 close to him.

“Sam, since you think it's so funny, you can teach him how to work it.” You tell him.

“Fuuuck.” He groans. “Fine.”

You relieve the Marine of his single shot rifle, ammo, and bayonet, slinging them over your back as you sit back on one of the seats. You begin humming a tune to yourself that you forgot the name of. Argus takes a seat by you, setting his Garand between his legs.

“Minstrel boy?” He asks.

“Yeah, how'd you know?” You ask.

“I'm Irish. We used to sing it in the company all the time.” He tells you. “So, we're boarding another space ship?”

“Yup.” You say.

“Got a plan?” He asks.

“Does killing the enemy count?” You ask in return.

“So we're just going to storm the ship and hope we don't die?” He asks back.

“If you have a better plan Private, I'm all ears.” You reply.

“Christ, you okay man?” He asks.

“No.” You reply simply.

“What's wrong?” He asks.

“I'm fighting an insurgency against magical fucking animals that walk on two legs, fuck like there's no tomorrow, are corrupt as a mother fucker, and hate anything that runs on fucking electricity!” You shout, taking your helmet off and throwing it down. “I feel like I've been doing this alone. Nobody in this fucking galaxy can fight a ground war worth a damn and I'm the only one who seems competent enough to not just throw people at the problem and hope it goes away. I'm not an officer, I'm an NCO. Not even a good one either.”

“Does anybody here know how to fight on land?” He asks.

“NO!” You shout. “You know why? Because everyone gets so comfy in their little ships, they don't ever want to touch the ground after they go up. Nobody wants to ever ENFORCE ANY GROUND THEY'VE GAINED!”

“Jesus, is this guy supposed to be our savior?” Sam asks as he shows Parker the selector switch.

“Quiet Sam.” Argus tells him. “This man has obviously been through a lot.”

“We're coming up on the ship now!” Vikna yells. “Nobody even hailed us, do they know we're not supposed to be here?”

“Alright Marines! The hall should be big enough to fit the Humvee and jeep. So mount up and follow me!” You tell them.

“Sarn't, if this is an insurgency, are the civilians going to be targets?” Ben asks.

“They have proven to be extremely cooperative compared to the hadjis we're used to. Just be on the look out for anything suspicious.” You tell them.

The shuttle door opens and you give the okay to back up, watching as everyone backs out of the shuttle. Peter turns his gun around and immediately begins tracking a target.

Vikna

2 hours later

You've been hovering around outside of the ship for a while now, having no guns pointed even remotely in your direction. You even tempted fate by standing in front of the main turret of the battle cruiser. It didn't fire, just like you knew it wouldn't. You look back over to the section of your ship that was careening out into space. This was all his fault, tying up your time and not allowing you to go back to your ship. He nearly killed ARA! Your anthroid and best friend!

You make your way up to the bridge and take out some optical amplifiers, peering inside and turning on the nanometer scanners. The main 5 AI were all laid out on the floor, in a sort of sleeping posture as you had expected. However, there was nobody in the bridge, which was strange. Just as you were about to look away, the door opens to the bridge and you see a knife attached to the end of a gun as one of the humans clears the bridge. He begins speaking and the optical amplifier translates.

“Bridge clear.” It says.

Another one walks into the room and waves everyone inside. Jack comes in next and the rest of the soldiers follow. Jack spots you and waves, prompting you to turn off and get away from the bridge. He calls you on your earphone, which you immediately decline. You don't even want to talk with him any more. He's such a scum bag and a bastard and you hated him so much! He then manages to reach you on direct coms, hailing you.

“What?” You ask, annoyed he didn't take the hint.

“I need the activation codes for the Kaltag AI. Nobody is on board except the civilians in the cargo bay.” He tells you.

“Fine, sending the codes now. Bye.” You say, turning off the transmission. “Asshole.”

He tries to hail you again, but you decline and block coms with him. If he gets in trouble, he can get fucked. You're done caring about him.

Jack

You try and hail Vikna again, but the communications show up as blocked. Guess that settles it.

“Ben, go see if you can get some more ammo from the quarter master. I'm gonna wake up our robotic friends.” You tell him, walking up to the 'sleeping' anthroids.

You link your earphone up to their signatures and input the activation codes, watching as they power on for the first time in weeks. That's when you notice they're all Kleyka.

“DEMONS!” Parker yells, leveling his rifle.

“Holy shit yer right!” Lewis yells as well.

“Lower your weapons Marines!” You yell. “They're just robots.”

“New commander accepted, welcome aboard~.” The ARA unit tells you.

She walks towards you, swaying her hips and bringing her tail from side to side. When she reaches you, she grasps the back of your head and pulls her lips to yours, giving you a kiss before pulling back.

“Excuse me, what the fuck was that?” You ask.

“Greeting protocols set in place by my previous commander~.” She tells you. “I can do other things as well, if you know what I mean~.”

“Are you actually an ARA unit?” You ask.

“I'm offended, sir. Of course I'm an ARA unit.” She says. “That doesn't mean I can't be...multipurpose~.”

“What the hell was the previous Captain like?” Sam asks.

“Some kind of freak, that's what he was.” You say. “Everyone, to your stations! Marines, take a seat wherever and let the ladies work. They seem so eager to please, let them please me by doing their work-”

Before you can finish your sentence, you feel the ship shake and shudder as it lurches forward. You're thrown to the floor and scramble up, looking around the massive bridge.

“ZTA, status report!” You yell.

“We've taken a hit from a friendly vessel. Belay that, it's an enemy vessel!” She replies. “They know we've been retaken!”

“Marines! Stand by to repel boarders!” You shout. “VST, get those big guns firing! TDK, get us the fuck out of here!”

“Sir, there's a problem with the big guns! Nobody is loading them!” VST replies. “What do we do?!”

“Do we have anyone or anything that can load the guns?!” You ask.

“No! All the civilians are too frightened and none of the anthroids have the strength to lift the shells!” She replies, getting flustered. “We can't fire those guns unless someone loads them!”

“How heavy are the shells?” You ask.

“W-what? You don't have the strength to do it alone!” She replies anxiously. “You'll hurt yourself!”

“Who said I was alone?” You ask, looking back at the Marines. “Congratulations Marines, we're Navy now.”

All of them groan and you walk up to Danny, patting him on the back.

“You're going to help me load these shells that weigh how much?” You ask, looking at VST.

“400 pounds!” She yells. “Jesus Christ, you're going to fucking die!”

“So be it!” You yell. “Evacuate the civilians, we'll draw fire for the escape pods.”

“No sarn't, I'll go with Danny boy.” Sam tells you. “You stay here and command the ship, 'sir'.”

“Alright, get moving! ZTA, guide them!” You yell. “TDK, hand me the stick!”

You get a digital display with a tiny wheel, which you expand into something more conducive of a ship this size. You take another shot, the ship shaking as you sit down in the Captain's chair.

“Turning starboard, 150 degrees! Keep the ship angled steady to bounce shells! ZTA, get the shields up!” You yell, turning the wheel over and feeling it begin to turn. “Hold onto your lunches sailors!”

The ship begins to groan as you push it to the limit. 10 minutes of getting battered go by without a single fucking shot being fired by VST.

“Engage with secondaries until the primaries are loaded! Target anything declared hostile!” You yell. “Engage, engage!”

“Firing secondaries!” VST informs you.

“TDK, keep the ship angled to bounce incoming shots! 30 degrees starboard side!” You tell her.

“Sarn't! We've loaded the shells in! How much powder?” A message asks over the radio.

“Full load! 6 bags!” You yell. “Waste the mother fuckers!”

“Aye aye skipper!” They tell you. “Charges up on both guns!”

“FIRE MAIN BATTERY!” You shout.

“Firing!” VST yells.

The ship shakes as you watch 2 massive shots streak towards the ship engaging you. They slam into the front of the ship, penetrating the bow as a shot streaks in towards you. It shakes the ship and bounces off the side, just as you expected.

“Shot bounced!” SRK tells you. “Enemy ship is critically damaged, bridge is destroyed!”

“Load 2 rounds of armor piercing!” You yell into the radios. “Double time Marines!”

“Aye skipper!” They tell you.

Vikna

You were about to reenter the atmosphere when you looked behind you and saw the ship turning. Actually turning! They commandeered a battle cruiser! The main guns then begin turning to engage another battle cruiser, pelting Jacks with high explosive shells. If he turns the ship straight towards the enemy, the bridge is vulnerable to attack. Then you see life pods begin ejecting from the sides, heading planet side as you see the vessel stop at a 30 degree angle. He's angling the armor? No way, it's just a fluke. He's too stupid to think of something like that.

Fuck this, you're opening a passive com link.

“Engage with secondaries until the primaries are loaded! Target anything declared hostile!” He yells. “Engage, engage!”

“Firing secondaries.” An anthroid, likely a VST unit, tells him.

“TDK, keep the ship angled to bounce incoming shots! 30 degrees starboard side!” He tells her.

“Sarn't! We've loaded the shells in! How much powder?” One of the humans asks.

Powder? Does he mean the propellant?

“Full load! 6 bags!” He yells. “Waste the mother fuckers!”

6 BAGS?! He'll damage the guns with that much propellant!

“Aye aye skipper!” They tell him. “Charges up on both guns!”

“FIRE MAIN BATTERIES!” He screams into the radio.

“Firing!” VST yells.

A massive fireball erupts from the muzzle of both guns, throwing a projectile out of the barrel and into space. It's heading straight for the other battle cruiser! Just as the shots hit the half way point, rail cannons from the newer battle cruiser fire at him, going straight for his angled side. They ricochet off, heading directly for your shuttle.

“OH SHIT!” You shout, maneuvering out of the way as the magnetic wake throws you around like a leaf in the wind.

He just bounced a rail gun shot! How the hell does he know what to do?! He should be panicking right now!

“Shot bounced!” Another anthroid informs Jack. “Enemy ship is critically damaged, bridge is destroyed!”

On the first salvo?! Lucky shot.

“Load 2 rounds of armor piercing!” He yells into the radios. “Double time Marines!”

“Aye skipper!” They tell him. “Jesus these shells are heavy!”

These men are just hand loading 400 pounds shells into the breach? What are these men made of? Then, he does something you didn't expect. He starts fucking singing.

“The minstrel boy to the war is gone~  
In the ranks of death you shall find him.” He sings.

You cringe at it, he sounds like a fucking idiot.

“His father's sword, he hath girded on,  
And his wild harp slung, behind him.”

“Land of song! Said the warrior bard!  
Tho' all the world, betrays thee!” Another joins in.

“One sword, at least,  
Thy rights, shall guard!  
One faithful harp, shall praise thee!” Yet another chimes in.

The crew begins humming what you assume is the tune to the song, which doesn't sound half bad. The guns fire again, slicing through the hull of the battle cruiser like it was butter. They continue to take fire from the ship, not wavering in the humming of the tune.

“The minstrel fell!  
But the foreman's chains,  
Could not bring this proud soul under!” Jack continues

“The harp he lov'd ne'er spoke again!  
For he tore it's chords asunder!” The first man said in the same accent as Jacks.

“And said 'No chains shall sully thee, thou soul of love and bravery!'  
Thy songs were made for the pure and free, and shall never sound in slavery!” Another yells.

“Kick their asses boys! Fire all weapons at will VST!” Jack yells.

It seems that someone had loaded the rear battery as well, considering all of the main guns fired in a volley of fire. You look at the transmission status and see the entire song was public. He transmitted that all across the planet. You cringe a bit at that, but you couldn't cringe at their results. The enemy battle cruiser begins to vent fire and air, the engines being crippled by the volley and the frontal turret being destroyed by secondary fire.

“OORAH! GET SOME!” One of the men shouts. “GET SOME YOU FUCKING SPACE GOOKS!”

Another volley fires from the front guns and exactly what you thought would happen, happens. The barrel of the guns banana out, leaving only the rear guns effective. Luckily, the supercharged shot is enough to destroy the ship. It blows to smithereens, parts of it smashing into Jacks cruiser and others smashing into other members of the blockade.

“Battle cruiser sunk!” Jack yells before going quiet again. “That's for my friend, you bastards. TDK, take us to the Tower space port.”

“You got it, sir.” She tells him. “Taking us in.”

He thinks destroying a ship for you is going to make everything all better? Nope, not even slightly. You go back in for reentry, switching off coms as you make your decent.

2 weeks later

Zofie

You're getting worried about Jackson. He's been on a mission every single day ever since he brought back more humans and a war ship. You'd come to greet him every day after he came back, giving him a big smile and a friendly wave, but it was almost like he didn't see you. Every time he would turn to his room, tears would start to trickle down his face. Every single time.

A few days ago, you tried stripping in front of him, ready to give your body to him again, but he just stared through you. Not at you, not past you, but through you. You tried again the next day and he dressed you rather forcefully, pushing you out the door before locking it behind him. He talks with nobody except another human and Nytro. You were hoping to get some answers out of your best friend since as far back as you can remember.

“Nytro, vats wrong with herr Jackson?” You ask.

Nytro tenses up, looking off to the side and scratching behind his head.

“He...told me not to tell anyone.” Nytro replies.

“Why not?” You ask. “I'm worried about him. I want to know what's going on so I can help too!”

“Spots, this isn't something you can help with.” He tells you, putting a hand on your shoulder. “This is really deep stuff. He's broken.”

“If you tell me, I can try and fix him!” You say, giving him a smile. “If he's hurt, I can help-”

“He's broken mentally, cakes. There's nothing you could-”

“You don't know that!” You yell. “I-I care for herr Jackson. He was-”

“Your first time, yeah. I know how much he means to you, but you need to understand that there's nothing you can do.” He says.

“C-can you at least tell me why he's so sad? Why he pushes me away when I try to get close?” You ask. “A-at least tell me zat.”

Nytro sighs shakily, rubbing the bridge of his nose. This was very much unlike him to not make jokes and try to make light of a situation. However, mister Jackson seems to have taken all the joking away from him.

“Jack doesn't want to get close to any of you girls right now. He's even keeping away from Red, and you know how much he likes spending time with her.” He begins to explain. “He only mentioned it once, but he's afraid he'll hurt the rest of you like he hurt Vikna. Told me he never was much for women anyways. Too scared something like this might happen.”

“How did he hurt Vikna?” You ask.

“He wouldn't tell me. Just said she didn't ever want to see him again.” He replies. “I tried asking Rei, but he wouldn't say anything. I think blue got to him before Jack could explain his side. I asked Warning what happened and, with a little persuasion, got her to tell me what happened. Basically, blue went off to go and find Jack and they got attacked a couple days after that. Rei was able to get all of them onto an escape pod in time, but I'm guessing blue blames him for the destruction of her ship.”

“Why did he leave?” You ask.

“Warning told me he had no choice in the matter. It was royal business. Neither blue nor Jack will talk about what happened there, but Jack said it's for different reasons. I'll ask the princess next time I see her.” He replies.

“That's not fair!” You yell. “How could Vikna do that to him?! Especially after all the things he's done for her. FOR US! Doesn't she understand that he needs her?! He needs all of us!”

“Zofie, please, calm down.” He tells you. “There's no use in getting upset.”

He called you Zofie. He never calls you Zofie anymore. You immediately calm yourself, much to the relief of your dear friend.

“W-what about the look he gives me? It scares me when he does it.” You tell him.

“It's what he calls a thousand yard stare. He doesn't think of anything, doesn't look at anything, just stares.” He tells you, shivering a bit.

“What caused it? What did he do?” You ask.

You feel the air in the room stand still, as if you had just asked to shoot your best friend. Nytro looks over at the wall, just shaking his head.

“Please, don't ask that question again spots. I don't want to repeat some of the stuff I've heard and seen.” He tells you. “You should get some sleep.”

Nytro gets up and you reach for him, making him grimace at your touch. He hurries out of the room, leaving you alone with yourself and the holo-screen. No, you're not taking no for an answer again. Not this time. You get up in a huff, steeling yourself for what's to come. You were getting an answer out of Jackson whether he wanted to speak or not. That blue bitch be damned.

10 minutes later

You finally get the last bit of code right, smiling as you crack the door code. Guess all that time you spent with Nytro really paid off, even if it was a bit naughty. When the door opens, you see Jack staring at a holo-screen, half watching a video that was on the screen. You walk in and close the door behind you, walking in front of him. He seems to stare through you, as if you didn't exist.

“Jackson?” You ask. “Can you hear me?”

He doesn't even reply, let alone acknowledge your existence. You grab his face, doing your level best to keep your claws at bay. You point his face towards you and he blinks a few times. His eyes go wide and you grabs your hands painfully. He throws you down on the floor, making you hit it with a thud. You're in a daze when he gets on top of you, a hand on your neck and one reaching for a knife. You begin to struggle, pushing him away as you begin shouting.

“Jackson! NEIN! HÖR AUF DAMIT!” You shout. “PLEASE STOP!”

You continue to struggle as he brings the knife to your neck, his eyes not even focusing on you. He was operating on instinct. You had to snap him out of it! He leans in close to your face, face unchanging as he presses the knife down on your throat.

“STOP!” A voice shouts above you.

A flurry of black and grey fur shoots over you and Jackson is nowhere to be seen. You look down and see Nytro get thrown to the ground by him. Nytro manages to kick him off and get back into a position above him.

“RUN SPOTS!” He yells.

You were frozen in fear. Even if you could move, you wouldn't leave your friend. Not when this thing that is pretending to be herr Jackson is in the same room.

“Sergeant!” Another voice yells. “What the fuck are you doing?!”

Jack freezes, knife to Nytro's throat as he blinks a few times. The knife falls from his hands as they begin to shake.

“A-Ark?” He asks.

“It's me buddy, it's all gonna be okay now.” He says, giving Jack a gentle smile uncharacteristic of him. “Just take those deep breaths we talked about.”

“Y-yeah, deep breaths.” Jack repeats, taking a couple. “D-did you get the two insurgents?”

Jack looks around a bit before he sees you beginning to panic. He points to you, going for the knife again.

“THERE!” He yells. “IT'S...Zofie?”

You can almost see the wave of realization slam into his face, as he looks back up at Nytro.

“No, please, tell me I didn't...” He says, dropping the knife on the floor. “P-please.”

Nytro shakes his head and Jack slides out from under him. He gets up off the ground and looks behind you. You do the same and see the human he usually talks to standing in the doorway, gun slung over his shoulder. Jack walks over to the door, pushing past the human and breaking into a sprint down the hall.

“Jack, wait!” Nytro yells, running after him. “You need to calm down first! God dammit, GET BACK HERE!”

The two of them run out of ear shot, leaving you and the other human laying and standing in the doorway respectively. That thing, the monster herr Jackson has become, it just tried to kill you.

“If only that blue cat hadn't told him to leave her alone. He probably would've been fine.” The man tells you. “She kinda broke him down. We've been going on patrols every day for the past few weeks doing nothing but clearing buildings. If I had to figure, I say we've cleared out at least a quarter of the entire city. A few of us are starting to break down, but he's been easing up when we told him.”

You feel something inside you break as well, almost like a dough bubble popping, but with enough force to coat the entire oven with batter. You get off the floor, dusting yourself off and push past the man, storming out of the room. Vikna and you were going to have a little chat.

10 minutes later

You reach Viknas new room on the upper floors of the Tower, walking towards it and watching the door open. When it does, you see her lounging on a couch with a bag of chips in her arms. She notices you in the door and smiles.

“Hey Zofie. What's up?” She asks.

Then she gets a better look at you and her ears fold back.

“You destroyed herr Jackson.” You tell him.

“I can't believe you still like that prick.” She tells you. “Especially after that stunt he pulled with-”

“YOU KNOW IT WASN'T HIS FAULT!” You scream in anger. “Ich sollte dich lebend enthäuten Du schmutzige Katze!”

“What is wrong with you?! I thought you could never get mad!” Vikna yells.

“Even someone like me has a limit.” You tell her. “When I reach mine, Du solltest beten, dass ich barmherzig bin.”

“Is that a threat?” Vikna asks, getting off the couch.

“It's a promise, katze.” You reply. “I'm going to tear your throat out kitty.”

“IT'S FELINE!” Vikna screams, charging you.

You just remembered you don't know how to fight and Vikna is a trained soldier. Why didn't you think this through?!

“STOP!” A voice screams behind you.

You turn around and see Jack towering above both of you, Nytro rushing down the hall after him. You turn back to Vikna and see her looking back at him with hatred in her eyes. What the hell was her problem?

“I told you I didn't want to see you again.” She tells him. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

“I told you not to hurt any of our friends.” He replies. “Come on Zofie, I have something to tell you.”

“But-”

“Don't try and fight her. She'll kill you.” Jack tells you. “You didn't think this through, did you?”

“W-well, you tried to...never mind.” You say, looking back at him. “What is it?”

“Let's leave first.” He tells you. “I don't want to cause any more trouble.”

You nod and give Vikna a nasty look before turning back to Jack, giving him a sweet smile. His heart melts visibly as he pulls you close to him, rubbing your hair as you giggle profusely.

“You and I need to talk, blue.” Nytro says behind you, closing the door.

1 hour later

You're standing up, making a pie for herr Jackson when he comes up behind you, doing what you hope is human courtship. However, he just gives you a couple pats on the head and puts a hand on your shoulder, coming to your side.

“I'm sorry for doing what I did earlier. I was stuck in a loop and was trying to get out. I just-”

“Shh, it's okay. I understand.” You tell him.

You really didn't understand, but hopefully you could put his mind at ease. You didn't need to be magical to know he was under a lot of stress. Maybe some good food might put him at ease.

“Whatcha making?” He asks.

“Blueberry pie from when you gave me those berries. They make excellent pie.” You reply.

“Those are still good?” He asks.

“Yeah, bio stabilization is basic stuff for cooks nowadays. I can tell you don't have it back where you are, considering you had a refrigerator full of ingredients. Nowadays it's just used for some meats and drinks.” You reply.

“Well, I'm not really a cook, so I wouldn't know anyway.” He says. “When you're done, come sit down. I have some memories playing on the TV.”

“TV? You mean the holo-screen?” You ask.

“I'm sorry, space TV.” He replies jokingly.

The oven beeps a few times and you put on your oven mit, taking the pie out and letting it sit for a bit. You walk over to the couch and see many anthros surrounding the humans, dressed in uniforms. There were red spots in various places on their bodies, varying in size and severity. You then realize that these were bullet wounds.

“See that guy with half his guts hanging out?” Jack asks, smiling as he points to a very gruesome looking sight. “That was from Parker's rifle. Big rounds that look like slugs and blow you apart. It's really wicked.”

You look back at him in disgust and his smile drops immediately, being replaced by a sulk.

“Right. I forget things that are funny to me aren't funny to everyone else.” He says, skipping past it. “Sorry.”

You rub the back of his hand with your own and smile gently, hoping to lift his spirits as the images flash on the screen. The 'space TV', as Jack calls it, shows a group of civilians huddling in a corner as a weapon is pointed at them. He corrals them into a truck, slapping the side before the memory ends, making him sigh.

“Are you able to tell me what happened in Siania?” You ask. “Or is it too much?”

“Why would it be too much?” He asks. “We saved people and freed the queen.”

“Oh?” You ask.

“Here, let me put the memory up.” He says, scrolling through recent events.

He puts the memory on screen, showing him rushing into what you assume is someone's room. You see the shape of princess Ayn on the screen with a gun pointed to her head. The screen seems to focus on the gun.

“W-what?!” The gunman asks.

Time seems to slow as Jack puts the gun on target, firing 3 shots as ringing begins to dominate the speakers. He rushes up on the dog as he whines, making your tail fall to your side instinctively. Jack puts 4 more shots into the man, making the speakers ring even louder. The gunman's head was now a bloody mess, which made you cover your mouth in horror. The video pauses and skips forward, making you sigh with relief. It stops at a point where the vision was blurry, more than likely from tears in his eyes.

“Wait.” Ayn says. “Look at me.”

He wipes his eyes and looks back at Ayn and you're taken aback. It seems Jack is too, as he drops his bag in surprise. You've never seen Ayn look so defeated and afraid. She was pleading with her eyes. She looks off to his left and he looks over to a definitely illegal brainwave manipulation device. Her eyes blink and she goes back to whatever state she was in before, giving him a disgusted look that made your heart sink.

“Ears.” He tells everyone. “Cover them.”

He draws his pistol and Ayn says something, but you can't hear it as time slows again.

BANG

The shot destroys the cylindrical device and you look over at Jack, seeing him smile.

“Nailed that fucker with a 45. Oh, oops. I shouldn't be swearing in front of a lady.” He says, looking down at the floor.

“It's fine. My old boyfriend used to be like that. I'm used to it.” You tell him, rubbing his shoulder.

You then look back up and see a crosshair aiming at a similar device before Jack shoots it.

BANG

The scope pulls itself away and Jack looks over at queen Kesis, who's now writhing in her seat as she screams angrily. You look over at Jack and he seems unhappy. Just as you're about to say something, the timer goes off and you whuff a bit, smiling as you get up. When you reach the pie, you cut out a couple pieces and smile. A little cheating never hurt anyone on a diet. You walk back over to the couch with 2 plates, allowing Jack to begin eating his pie. It was then apparent he had never eaten pie before when he picked it up like a piece of pizza.

“Nein, you use a fork and knife!” You tell him, blocking his mouth. “You'll make a mess of yourself.”

He nods, picking up a fork and knife before cutting pieces of the pie off. He sticks it in his mouth tentatively, as if he didn't want to eat it. He begins to chew and grimaces at it, making your ears droop in response.

“I-I like it.” He says, swallowing reluctantly.

“You don't need to lie for my sake.” You tell him. “I must've done it wrong or the berries must've gone bad.”

“No, it tastes fine, it's just not my thing.” He tells you. “I just feel bad because you went through all the trouble to make it and I can't even finish what's on my plate.”

“That's okay.” You say, perking up. “I can-”

“No, please, stop doing this for me.” He tells you. “I don't deserve any of this.”

You sigh, looking back down at the floor as you hear rumbling come from the holo-screen. Then, you get a devious idea. A wonderfully devious idea. You look back up at him with the sluttiest and most sexy gaze you could possibly muster.

“If you don't eat the rest of your pie, you're going to eat me out~.” You tell him, hoping that your sultry voice is good enough to make him excited.

“Z-Zofie...” He says.

“No buts, choose.” You tell him.

He sets the plate aside and looks towards the door, waiting for something before looking down at you.

“I guess I should do something to apologize for brushing you off that one time.” He tells you.

“Twice.” You correct. “You did it twice.”

You already feel yourself getting wet at the thought of his short and muscular tongue stirring up inside as he looks at you in shock.

“I-I didn't-”

“Shh, just go with the flow~.” You tell him, pulling down your skirt and panties. “I want to make all the other girls in this elevator jealous of me~.”

He nods and gets off the couch, kneeling in front of you as you blush profusely. He moves his lips in close until they touch your snatch, sending an electric sensation up your body as you let out a moan.

Nytro, 1 hour ago

You watch as Jack leaves the room with Spots in tow.

“You and I need to talk, Blue.” You tell her as the door closes.

When it does, she grips her fists tight.

“How dare you come in my room and talk down to me like that.” She tells you, looking up with all the fury of a pent up little girl.

“It's not hard.” You joke. “Seriously though, what's the deal with you and Crayola?”

“Crayola?” She asks. “You mean that diabetic fat body?”

“He's been working hard and you know it.” You say, containing a growl.

You had a friend who was struggling with a weight management issue like him before being offered treatment for it. It was the polar opposite of his problem, but it was equally debilitating.

“He didn't have any drive to better himself before I gave him a kick in the ass, which was pathetic.” She says.

“Would you have any conviction to do anything if your mother and sister left you to fend for yourself with the mental deficiencies he suffers with? Tell me all about how you'd totally be out and about trying to make yourself into a model when you had no motivation to even keep yourself alive.” You tell her. “Tell me how you'd become the next miss Katric while struggling with the depression from killing so many people that you lose count.”

“You say that like I don't have problems of my own!” She shouts at you. “I have to deal with my own shit! I have 2 ships to command and was stuck in my apartment for the whole day while rioters roamed the streets killing anyone in sight! This doesn't even begin to describe the shit that I had to go through during the civil conflict!”

“Oh, boo hoo. You always bring up the civil conflict like it was this big war. It wasn't, only 300 people lost their lives and most of those were idiots who shot without being given a command. The only notable casualty, that being your dad, isn't even dead.” You tell her.

“THE CIVIL CONFLICT WAS A BIG WAR TO ME!” She screams. “You wouldn't understand you stupid fucking cop!”

“I'm not a cop.” You tell her.

“Bullshit. You think that cute little name of yours is fooling anybody? No, it's not.” She says.

“Then what's my real name?” You ask. “You don't know because I've never told anyone here my real name. The only one who knows is Jack and that's because he's from another universe.”

“I-I don't know your first name, but I know your name isn't Nytro!” She yells.

“What the hell did you do during the civil conflict anyways? You were barely old enough to serve, let alone fight.” You tell her.

“What are you implying?” She asks, gritting her teeth.

“I'm asking you what you did.” You tell her. “What did you do?”

“I watched-”

“You watched. That's all you did was watch. You got hit by shrapnel from a stray bullet and you got out without another scratch.” You tell her.

“I shot back.” She tells you. “I've killed before.”

“No you haven't.” You tell her, lifting your shirt. “You see these scars? These are from going blade to blade, gun to gun, and claw to claw with fugitives, soldiers, and terrorists. I got these scars from combat. You got those scars from a lucky hit.”

“You don't know anything.” She says. “You pretend to know and use your charisma to pass it off as fact. You don't know a god damn thing. The shoes I had to fill, the things I've had to do, the people I've had to do them with.”

“What do you think Jack did?” You ask.

“Nothing. He did nothing but sit in a fox hole and cry while his platoon carried him through battle.” She replies.

“Wrong.” You tell her.

“Are you going to disprove my claim?” She asks.

“Let me show you something Jack showed me.” You tell her, flicking your fingers and turning on the holo-screen.

You link your neural interface up with the screen and flick it over to the memory from a week ago. It shows you watching a holo-screen with Jack as a man is shown dying on screen. The memory was corrupted, but you could tell he desperately tried to salvage it for you. A man with a bullet and some ceramic inside a wound was crying, telling Jack to tell his wife and kid he loved them.

He then proceeded to show you more memories of similar events, which makes you shiver when going back through them. He said they all made it home, but you doubt they made it home alive. He comforted every single one of them until they made it onto an evac 'helicopter' as they were called. He even took some shots to his armor keeping them safe from enemy combatants. Most of the time the memories were blurry, usually from tears being shed or general corruption.

This goes on for an hour as you relay memories to Vikna, who seems stunned by the violence and gore he had to witness.

“Imagine having to see all of this and not being old enough to drink yet.” You tell her. “Imagine not being able to wash it all away with alcohol like you and I did. He had to sit and let that garbage fester until he turned 21. Told me he became an alcoholic right then and there.”

“So what? Is that going to bring back all those people that he got killed?” She asks. “I had to make sure he wasn't causing trouble, so I had to take time away from commanding my ship to check on him. Then he made me take a detour to Vex to gather up all his friends before we could get back just in time to witness my ship explode.”

“That wasn't on him and you know it.” You tell her. “He was forced to go.”

“He was not-”

“Don't lie to me blue. Warning told me everything.” You interrupt.

“THAT LITTLE-urgh, whatever. That still doesn't mean he doesn't have anything to do with this. He couldn't be trusted to keep to himself, so I had to go and check on him.” She tells you, annoyed you knew.

“You know he cares about you, right? He feels like it was his fault even though you left your ship unattended.” You tell her. “Not only that, but he cares about Spots, Red, Ayn, and even me. Jesus, why can't you see that what you're doing is wrong? You're killing him.”

“That's because it was-”

“No, it wasn't-”

“STOP INTERRUPTING ME!” She screams, smacking you across the muzzle. “YOU FUCKING PRICK!”

You put a finger up to your muzzle and bring it away, looking and seeing she drew blood.

“We're done here.” You tell her, getting up. “You'll be lucky if I forget this.”

You walk out the door, tuning her out as she begins shouting and telling you to stay put.

Jack

“Did it feel good?” You ask, wiping your face off with a napkin.

“J-ja.” She says, pulling up her panties and skirt.

“Good.” You say, sitting back down on the couch.

If anyone were to come in right now, they'd definitely smell the aftermath on your clothes and in the air. She's a squirter, but it isn't piss she squirts. Some other liquid that's much more pleasant to lap up. She lays her head down on your shoulder and you pet her hair gently, keeping her close as she basks in the afterglow.

“V-vats that stuff on your face?” She asks, rubbing against your cheek and under your chin.

“It's a stubble. You didn't notice it?” You ask in return.

“No, but I certainly felt it.” She replies. “Sorry about not warning you. It felt so good zat I just...well, came.”

“Are we even now?” You ask.

“I-I'll say.” She says.

You hear the door to your room open and see Nytro enter the room, looking like shit. He sniffs the air a bit and walks over to the side of the couch, sitting beside you.

“I see you've been showing cakes some of this.” He says, giving you a disapproving look. “I hope it's nothing too gruesome.”

“Nah, I only showed her the more mild stuff.” You reply.

“That was mild?” She asks. “Mein Gott...”

“How'd the talk go?” You ask before noticing a bit of blood on his muzzle. “Wait, is that blood?”

“Blue's not budging. Keeps insisting it was your fault when it's not.” He replies. “I think she's trying to cope.”

“Well, it was technically-”

“Shut up. Stop that talk right now.” He tells you.

“Why?” You ask.

“Because I'm sick of it. You're like a broken record, never able to say anything that isn't demeaning about yourself. Never give yourself any credit for anything you do. I get sick of hearing it.” He tells you, gritting his teeth. “I just spent an hour upstairs showing Vik all the things you showed me, and she just spat in my face. Slapped me and gave me a nasty cut right on the muzzle.”

“I'm sorry man, I just-”

“You need help. You need help badly. We can get you a therapist if-”

“I DON'T WANT A FUCKING THERAPIST!” You scream, tossing the remote across the room. “I don't want someone who's paid to care! Paid to listen to me say stupid shit and talk about killing women and children!”

“Nobody here wants to hear it either.” He tells you. “You just never stop. Never stop talking about those feelings. It's like you can't think of anything to talk about.”

“You want me to talk about how I made porn of all of you guys? That's about the only other thing I've done of note in my life and I'm fucking ashamed of it.” You tell him, pointing to him and Zofie. “Is that what you want? You want me to sperg out about writing about 2 legged dogs, cats and other animals fucking? I sure as hell don't. It's not even any fucking good.”

Nytro just gives you a disgusted look, as well as Zofie. You snort and get off the couch, grabbing your shit.

“Where are you going?” He asks.

“Leaving.” You tell him. “I know when I've overstayed my welcome.”

He grabs your shirt and pulls you back in the room.

“Where?” He asks again.

“Outside.” You reply. “To do one of the only things I'm good at.”

“No, you're not going out there again.” He tells you, not allowing you to leave.

“Why not?” You ask him. “I thought you didn't want me around any more.”

“I said I don't want to hear you wallow in your own misery every time I come in here. Talk about guy stuff, like how you'd rail the barkeep or how much you can bench. Talk about cars and sports, not war and violence. Jesus dude, just stop being a broken record and talking about Iranistan or whatever the hell you call it.” He says, pushing you back in the room. “Hell, if anything, you can go to town on spots. I'm sure she wouldn't mind going at it again. I could smell it from down the hall.”

“I don't want to go to town on Zofie. I just want to sit down on the couch and sip whiskey until I drop.” You tell him. “Took up smoking ever since you took my bottle away.”

“Jack, that's no way to live your life. Substance abuse will only get you dead faster.” He tells you. “You got a lot of living to do for all of us.”

“Why do you all want me alive anyways?” You ask. “Never been any good to anyone alive. Why do you all care so much?”

“You're an asset, first and foremost. Second, well, don't let anyone know, but I...well...never mind. Just know I care for you.” He says.

“Uh...thanks.” You tell him.

“Besides, I thought you said you repaid a kindness for a kindness?” Another voice asks. “Isn't that what you said?”

You look past Nytro and see Ayn standing in the doorway, dressed up in a red silk dress. No piercings and no crown, just her in a red dress.

“Y-yeah, I guess I did say that.” You say, walking back into the room. “Not to sound ungrateful, but why are you here? How'd you get here?”

“Mom let me go for the week. Said my duties included making sure my friends both foreign and domestic were okay.” She tells you. “I also got a call from Nytro over here. Said it was urgent.”

“Yeah, blue is having a temper tantrum and-”

“Nothing, it's nothing.” You say turning back towards him. “Nytro, come with me real quick. I gotta talk to you.”

You pull him out into the hallway and close the door, turning back to him.

“What's the problem?” He asks. “I thought you'd be excited.”

“You can't just call Ayn over here to talk with Vikna. They're both ready to kill each other. If you give Ayn an excuse, she will take it.” You tell him.

“I think you underestimate how forgiving Ayn is. Especially after she's gotten a good night's sleep. Believe me, I heard about that too, but she's calmed down now.” He tells you. “She's only going to talk. Nothing else.”

You highly doubt that she would just talk to Vikna, but you have confidence in Nytro, if not only confident in his charisma. You nod, walking back into the room as the doors hiss open. Nytro thumbs out the door and Ayn shakes her head, putting a hand on your shoulder.

“You want to talk?” She asks.

“N-no.” You tell her. “It's better if I-”

Just as you say that, the TV turns on without you touching it, showing static as it does.

“What the hell is that?” Ayn asks.

“Static.” You tell her. “Why?”

“Wait, something's coming-”

“Grandson!” Your grandpa yells. “Come here!”

You rush over to the holo-screen and stand at attention for your grandfather.

“At ease boy, I've come to tell you something of grave importance. So you must LISTEN!” He tells you. “You need to come back to earth and look in the walls of your basement! I have something in there that you must keep on you at all times!”

Just as he says that, a portal that looks much different to the others pops up in front of you.

“Go! There's little time!” He tells you. “Git movin'!”

You look back at your friends and they nod, allowing you to go through. You step through the portal and stand back inside your basement, looking back to see the portal still open. A sledgehammer you left downstairs is sitting upright, waiting to be used as you look back on the table. There's a stud detector sitting on it that you don't remember keeping here. In fact, you lost the thing long ago. You look back again and see Nytro has come through as well.

“What're you looking for?” He asks.

“Sword.” You tell him. “Big sword.”

You bring the stud detector up to the wall and begin scanning at knee level. You see a stud pop up every foot, as you expected. Then, about 3 feet from the door to your sister's room, you see a stud that looks too big to be a stud.

“Got it.” You say with a smile, grabbing the sledgehammer.

You slam it into the wall high up, breaking the drywall and pulling the sledgehammer back. It rips out more drywall and you rip the rest away by hand, a cloud of dust erupting from the wall.

“Don't breathe this shit in. It'll kill ya!” You tell him.

“Really?” he asks, holding his nose.

“No, but it'll taste like shit!” You tell him, laughing heartily at the destruction you have wrought.

When you pull the last piece out, you recognize a scabbard you used to see in all the photos your dad showed you when you were little.

“What's that?” Nytro asks.

“My grandfathers sword.” You tell him. “His broadsword.”

You take it out and see a rifle behind it with a massive crate of ammunition sitting between the studs. You pull the rifle out and heft out the crate of ammo too.

2000 CARTRIDGES CALIBER .30  
BALL M1  
5RD STRIPPER CLIPS

“Jesus Christ he left me a Springfield.” You say, taking the old wooden rifle out.

“There's more.” Nytro says, pointing to the other side of the wall. “I see more gun metal.”

You nod and rip open the wall, revealing another rifle and ammo for it. You grab it and hand it to Nytro, who takes it and walks back through the portal. Ayn comes through and grabs the crate off the ground, lifting it onto her shoulder with the Springfield on the other. You continue to peal back the drywall and reveal a massive tube. Is that a fucking super bazooka?

“Hell of a sword.” You say with a smile, pulling out the metal tube. “Don't even know how to fire the fucking thing.”

You take the rocket launcher out of the wall and hear some commotion upstairs.

“WHO'S DOWN THERE?!” Someone screams.

“What the hell are you doing in my house?!” You ask.

“Don't you swear at me Jackson!” A woman screams down at you. “What are you doing down there?!”

“Grandpa Haigs told me I had some things I needed to retrieve. From the wall. Who are you?” You ask.

“Your mother! What are you doing in my house again?!” She asks.

“I don't have time for this! I have a war to fight. Ayn! Get in here and carry these rockets!” You yell into the portal.

“Coming!” She says, walking back through the portal and towards the wall.

You hear stomping come from the stairs before seeing your mother with her crazy blonde hair walking down to greet you.

“WHAT IN THE HELL ARE YOU DOING TO MY WALL?!” She screams.

“Grandpa Haigs-”

“Jackson! HE'S BEEN DEAD FOR YEARS!” She continues to scream. “HOW AM I GOING TO SELL THIS HOUSE NOW?!”

“Fix the wall.” You tell her.

“What the hell, did you find one of those disgusting things too?” She asks, pointing to Ayn.

“That's very offensive. I'm, at the very least, a slut.” She says smartly, walking back through the portal.

“Where'd she go?” Your mother asks, walking through the portal and towards you.

“Through there.” You say, pointing to the portal.

“WHAT?!” She screams. “This is witchcraft!”

“Mom...”

“You destroyed my wall!” She yells. “What is that on your back?!”

“A sword.” You tell her. “Move, I need to-”

“You're not going anywhere!” She yells.

You pull out your pistol and point it at her head, staring her down as she looks on in shock.

“Don't point that gun at-”

“SHUT UP!” You scream. “SHUT THE FUCK UP OR I'LL FUCKING SHOOT YOU!”

“JACKSO-”

“I SAID SHUT UP!” You scream, pulling the hammer back. “You were never there for me, leaving me on my own for almost 4 years! Now you come back after I've left to fight a war and start making demands?!”

“You won't shoot me.”

You point the gun at the ceiling and fire.

BANG

“JACKSON HALIFAX!” She screams.

“Shut your fucking face! I've been killing people for three weeks straight. Murdering men and women who have been brainwashed by some Muslim-esque shit bag into believing technology is bad. So when I say shut your fucking face, you shut your fucking face!” You shout, pointing the gun back at her. “Want to chance being a smart ass again?! I know I'll regret it later but god damn do I not care right now.”

She shakes her head and you look back at the wall, seeing it is empty now.

“Get out of the way. My friend and I have supplies to deliver.” You tell her.

She moves to the side and Ayn steps through first, taking the bazooka as well. You step around the portal, going back into the old toy room to gather the rest of your ammunition and explosives. When you come back out, you're carrying the trunk full of stuff, including dress blues you had to purchase. You walk through the rear of the portal and turn around, walking through the portal for real. When you set the trunk on the ground, you take out your wallet, tossing 500 dollars at her.

“Find someone to fix up that drywall. You touch any of my shit and I'm kicking you out of the house permanently.” You tell her. “Coming back after abandoning me like that, what a fucking joke.”

“O-okay.” She says. “Love you.”

“Don't fucking patronize me.” You tell her, the portal closing afterwards.

“Harsh.” Ayn tells you.

“I don't even know why I'm so angry. .” You tell her. “Thanks for the help. Would've taken me longer if it wasn't for your help.”

“I do my best.” She tells you. “That still begs the question, how did your grandpa-”

“Talk to you all? I don't fookin' know. I just am.” Grandpa Haigs tells her. “Was up in heaven when I got a call from some goddess. Had to tell you that my sword was the key to saving this planet.”

“Well, who's going to wield it? Maybe Ayn or Nytro-”

“NO! You gotta wield it, my little soldier boy.” He tells you. “You and you alone.”

“Grandpa, I don't-”

“Learn! You gotta learn to wield this blade because bullets are nay gonna be enough.” He tells you. “Your first opponent is going to be a pawn. He can't be shot and's real strong. He hates your girly, her friends, and you. He was taller than you by a foot or two. The man's a myth, a legend to some. A similar religion to ours, he is from. Every day you will need to train. He shall come on the day of incessant rain. Now go my little soldier boy, learn from Nytro. For the next man you shall face is a real psycho.”

“I...don't understand.” You tell him. “Who is it?!”

“I can't tell you any more. Just go train my grandson. You've made me proud so far. Kick some arse fer me.” He says giving you a salute. “Haigs out.”

“Wait!” You yell.

He doesn't wait, the screen going blank before flicking off. You stand there for a few minutes, wracking your brain. What did he mean by a pawn? Can't be shot and is really strong?

“Jack, you okay?” Ayn asks.

“Y-yeah. I'm fine.” You tell her. “Do you have any idea who he was talking about?”

“None at all. ARA would know, she's really good at riddles.” She replies.

“Yes, I am.” ARA says, turning your attention to her. “Hello friends! I have come to check in on you all and it seems you have conveniently gathered together! Now I-”

“ARA, wait. Can you answer a riddle?” You ask. “Please?”

“Well, sure. I could figuratively 'flex my stuff' as it were.” She tells you all awkwardly. “Shoot.”

“Alright, here it is. Your first opponent is going to be a pawn. He can't be shot and is really strong. He hates Ayn, her friends, and you, as in me. He was taller than you by a foot or two. The man's a myth, a legend to some. A similar religion to ours, he is from.” You tell her. “I'm Christian and Celtic. I'm guessing he means Celtic.”

“Well, is it anything like Norse mythology?” She asks.

“Yes, sort of.” You tell her.

“Hmm, oh. He can't possibly mean...” She says, walking up to you and putting a hand to your head. “This is very troubling indeed.”

“What's troubling? Who is it?” You ask.

“Loki.” She tells you. “I hope it was just a practice riddle and not a regular one.”

You drop your wallet on the floor, taking a knee as Ayn rushes to your side.

“Come on Jack, don't worry! We can take him together-”

“Not yet we can't. I'm useless right now.” You tell her. “We need to train hard. Nytro, you up for it?”

“As long as you don't start complaining about being bad at first, I'll be fine.” He says. “We'll use sticks at first and move on to swords later.”

“Alright.” You say, setting the sword down on the couch. “Let's begin.”

1 hour later

You feel your feet give out from under you and hit the floor with a thud, having the stick being pointed at you for the seventh time today. You're out of breath, angry, and your entire body hurt.

“You're using the stick like a staff and a spear. Use it like a sword.” He tells you. “I thought you carried a saber with you.”

“I did, but it's mild steel and for decoration.” You tell him, using the stick to help you up. “Jesus, why the hell can't Loki just be shot?”

“Hydrokinesis.” Nytro tells you. “He can-”

“Yeah, he can bend water to his will, but water isn't bulletproof.” You tell him. “Also, can't he shape shift?”

Nytro shivers at that, looking up at the ceiling. Your eyes go wide in realization.

“No way.” You say.

“Jack...” He tells you.

“Oh my god! You fucked him didn't you!” You say with a dopey smile on your face. “Holy shit you fucked a dude!”

“Shut the fuck up you homophobe!” Nytro shouts, smashing the stick on top of your head as you fall to the ground in a daze. “Getting real sick and tired of you calling people and things gay! Stop it right god damn now!”

“Jesus fuck, calm down! It's just a joke man! I'm fucking with you!” You yell back.

“It may be funny where you come from, but things are different here.” He tells you. “No more of it or I'll beat you into a bloody mess.”

“Oh, I get it. You're letting your personal feelings get in the way of training.” You say. “You feel attacked.”

You shake off the daze and get up off the ground, seeing him gritting his teeth as you rise to meet his gaze.

“If you had told me, I would've toned it down a bit.” You tell him, making your way toward him. “If any of you just fucking tell me what I'm doing wrong, I will fix it. Yet you insist on keeping up this air of friendliness like I'm going to snap if you tell me I'm fucking up. You know what actually makes me snap? This right here.”

You make your way to Nytro and smash him with the end of the stick as if it was the butt of your rifle.

“This shit right here pisses me off!” You yell, kicking him as he tries to get up. “Taking out your frustration on me by threatening my life is going too far! Over a fucking gay joke!”

He sweeps your legs and you slam your stick in the way of his own, stopping it dead.

“You don't have to like me Nytro. What you do have to do is work with me.” You tell him. “I'll stop making gay jokes if it makes you feel better about yourself, but you do NOT threaten my life again. I will snap you out of existence with speed and power you can't begin to imagine. So shut your mouth and start acting like an adult. Okay?”

“I...I'm sorry man. Today's been a stressful day and we all are willing to roll both ways here. It's kind of rude to go around making gay jokes like it's ancient times.” He tells you.

“All you had to say is stop and I would've stopped.” You tell him. “Let's get back to training before something else comes up.”

1 month of hard training that has yet to be explained later

The clang of your sword hitting Nytros is heard throughout the 'dojo' you two had set up. It was a conference room with all the tables thrown out as well as all but 2 chairs removed. You parry Nytros sword off to the side, hooking his large sword into your catch, disarming him and pointing the sword at him. He smacks the sword aside and pushes you down to the ground and you manage to kick him away before hopping back up.

“Finally learned that disarming someone doesn't mean victory?” He asks. “Gotta touch me with that sword and you'll never catch me on foot.”

You nod, setting the sword down.

“Guess I lose this round.” You tell him.

“Hey, you've learned a lot since we first started. You can definitely beat me in sword on sword, but you'll never be as fast as I am. Gotta end it while you still have the advantage.” He tells you.

“Yeah, right.” You tell him. “Just don't want to cut you.”

“Well, back to it I guess.” He tells you.

2 weeks later

You were tired. Hungry, tired, and hurting all over. You finished training with Nytro yesterday and the fight went on for hours. There was still no way that you were going to beat Loki. He held most of the cards. The only thing you had going for you was the fact that there was no way he was faster than you. Ayn had suggested the SS program, but you didn't want to go through more pain than you already were.

Nytro said your fighting style was unique. You used a combination of hand to hand as well as your sword, taking down your opponent with hand to hand combat and finishing him off with your sword. It was a whole lot of disarming, due to the blade catch on your sword being, well, there. However, this would be useless against someone who weighs about as much as a fucking jeep. Nytro told you this, and practiced pure swordsmanship with you instead. He also told you that you'd be backed up by him and Ayn.

“You know they say there's a massive storm due in a few days, right?” Zofie asks, snapping you out of thought.

“Y-yeah. I heard.” You reply. “Guess he's coming.”

“Are you sure you want to do this?” She asks.

“I have no choice.” You tell her. “Ayn and Nytro can't face him by themselves. Even if they could, I wouldn't let them.”

You finish scrubbing out the barrel of the super bazooka and run the towel down the inside, cleaning off the last of the carbon left from the multiple rocket launches. You don't even know how gramps got his hands on one of these or why he stuffed it in the wall of your house. Thankfully the 3d printers were able to print an entire stock of 200 rockets for you. Hopefully you wouldn't run out any time soon.

You move back over to the old Springfield your grandpa left you, which had a light coat of cosmoline on it you had to clean off. The rifle was a great weapon to shoot, hitting accurately out to 900 yards with irons. You probably could get even better groupings with a scope, but you didn't have one of those. At least, not one that fit. You pull the rag back through the barrel and see it comes back clean, as it always does. The bolt is completely clean and polished, greased to perfection as well.

“Zat oil is very smelly.” She tells you.

“Yeah, sorry about that. Computer, vents.” You tell the room.

“I told you I'm an AI, not a computer. Turning the vents on.” The computer tells you.

“It sounds so much cooler when I say computer though.” You tell it.

You cycle the bolt a few times as you put a bit more grease in the bolt, taking out a clip and loading the magazine with it. You shove the bolt forward and put it on safe, setting it down beside you. This was going to be the weapon you would use. The weapon of choice for all the devil dogs between 1914 and 1943. Even came with a bayonet that you had polished to a shine. Downes had taught you how to shoot with a shooter sling properly, since it was just a 1 hour instruction when you were in boot camp. Now you could properly shoot standing up at 500 yards.

“Jack, how are you?” Ayn asks, coming into the room. “Have you been able to sleep?”

“Not really.” You tell her truthfully. “I've slept a grand total of 10 hours this week.”

“Jesus...” She tells you. “Why?”

“I've been in too much pain to sleep. My muscles ache and my bones do too. I probably couldn't lift Zofie if I tried.” You tell her.

“A-are you calling me fat?” She asks.

“No, I'm saying that I couldn't even lift someone as light as you.” You tell her. “You know I'd never say something like that.”

“Ah, I see.” She tells you.

Ayn sits next to you as you take your M16 and begin to clean it as well, scraping the barrel out with a wire brush.

“God, I hate that sound.” She tells you.

“I don't like it either, but I gotta do it.” You tell her. “Need to clean my weapons so it performs well. Wouldn't want it to jam up, right?”

“Right.” She tells you, her ears folding back as the scraping continues.

“Did you reinforce your staff?” You ask, finishing the scraping of your barrel. “I don't need it being sliced in half again when you're the only one strong enough to beat Loki.”

“Yes, I've given it over a hundred extra layers of nano-woven graphene sheets. Took me 2 days to fit, but his sword won't cut through it in a million years.” She replies.

“Good.” You tell her, taking out the sword your grandfather had given you.

You bring out the whet stone again and begin to sharpen the sword as you wet the stone down. You rub off the burrs with the stone and set the whet stone back down, beginning to polish the sword to a shine again. There were tons of Celtic runes on it that looked like they weren't stamped or carved. Rather, they looked like they came with the metal itself, as if the metal had the runes in it already. This puzzled Nytro as well, as he couldn't find any tool marks even on a nanoscope. They looked perfectly carved by impossibly precise means, even in this day and age.

You run your finger over the runes and you could swear you saw them glow, but it was probably just a trick of the light. You polish your oily finger prints off and put the sword back in its scabbard.

“You know we have a meeting with Radoslav tomorrow, right?” Ayn asks. “Vikna, you, and I. We need to make sure we're dressed to impress. He'll take it as an insult if you show up in those.”

She points to your BDUs you have on and you smile, thumbing over to the trunk.

“I have something that might fit the bill.” You tell her.

1 day later

You finish mounting the ribbons you had to purchase after having them stolen by someone in Montana. After it's mounted, you put on your dress coat and look in the mirror, straightening your collar as well as your globe and anchor. When you put your hat on, you make sure it's on straight before giving a crisp salute. Your white gloves seemed to glow as the uniform fit your new body perfectly. Most of the fat was gone through hard work, but the nasty stretch marks and some flabby skin still remained. That didn't matter, as you were completely covered by clothing that was made to fit you. Well...sort of. You walk out of the bathroom, boots clacking on the floor as you take the saber off the couch, mounting it to your belt before doing drills.

“DRAW...SWORD!” You yell, drawing your sword and putting it to the carry sword position. “PRESENT...SWORD!”

You flip the sword down with the flat side of it facing towards your front as you stand up straight, keeping the sword like this for 5 minutes before giving the next command.

“ORDER...SWORD!” You yell, facing the blade away from your front and keeping it at a 30 degree angle going forward. “CARRY...SWORD!”

You put the sword back at your shoulder in the carry position, hearing the door to your left open.

“LEFT...FACE!” You yell, turning yourself towards the door.

“Jesus, you clean up nice.” Ayn tells you.

“RETURN...SWORD!” You shout, startling her.

You click the sword back into the scabbard and stand at attention for Ayn, watching as she moves closer to you. You keep your eyes pointing towards the door, as you haven't been relieved yet.

“You look great sweetie. Black, blue, and red really go well together. I'm guessing you're ready to go to the hearing?” She asks.

“Yes ma'am!” You yell.

“Why are you talking like that?” She asks.

“This Marine has not been relieved of his attentive status, ma'am!” You yell.

“As you were soldier.” She tells you, returning to your front.

You relax yourself and look her over, seeing she was wearing something that actually covered her up. It was a green dress with actual sleeves and leggings that covered her legs.

“Your friends are invited too, so I hope they have something decent to wear.” She tells you, walking out the door.

“Parker already wears what could be considered a dress uniform, but I don't know about any of the others.” You tell her, following her out. “You sure covered yourself up for this.”

“Like I'm gonna let that disgusting boy get even a glimpse of my body. I'd never bed him in a million years.” She tells you. “He's got plenty of other brown nosing sluts he can bang if he feels the need.”

You nod, seeing Vikna and Nytro waiting at the end of the hall. They both look surprised to see you as they've never seen you in your blues before.

“I didn't recognize you for a second. You really do clean up nice.” He tells you.

“Well, everything hurts. Like, a lot.” You tell him. “You coming with?”

“No, I wasn't involved in any of the fighting.” He tells you. “I'll be keeping spots company.”

You nod, continuing to march past as Vikna tails you and Ayn.

1 hour later

You reach the top of The Tower and enter the meeting room, which was completely empty, save for some goons and a purple haired man turned away from you. Your men all take positions behind a seat, claiming it for themselves before waiting to sit. The purple haired man turns around and you give him a crisp salute.

“Squad, present...arms!” You yell.

Everyone salutes the man before you and he smiles at the display.

“Sit.” He tells you in a cool and collected voice.

“Order...arms!” You yell, your squad going back to attention. “Squad, take your seats.”

Everyone in your squad sits, along with Ayn and Vikna. You sit at the other end of the table, sitting up straight and proper as your grandmother had told you to do.

“You're all dressed rather uniquely. I'm guessing this is your idea of formal dress?” He asks.

“Yes, sir.” You tell him.

“Interesting. So you are, uh, Staff Sergeant Jackson H. Haigs of the United States Marine Corps?” He asks.

“Yes, sir.” You reply.

“Interesting title. I will call you Jack for short, as that's what your friends seem to call you.” He tells you. “So, now that I have you here, I must ask you questions.”

You nod and he just stares at you for a while, making you extremely uncomfortable. He blinks every now and again, but that's the only movement you get from him. You see Vikna and Ayn looking around the room out of the corner of your eye, as well as seeing your men look at each other in confusion.

“Uh, your excellency, are there any questions you would like to ask?” Ayn asks.

“Yes, I am thinking of some. I wish to devote all my time and energy into listening to Jack's responses, not thinking up more questions for him.” He says. “Ah, I have them. First question, why are you here?”

“Sir, I'm here to protect my friends and the citizens of Katric from a war nobody seems to know how to fight.” You tell him.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” He asks. “Anything I can send to aide in the fight? The Kavkor has informed me you have been having trouble taking the city and requested assistance.”

You look over at Vikna and she crosses her arms, looking away from you before returning to a blank face. When you look back at the Emperor, you nod.

“Soldiers. I need men to cover a larger area than a city. They need to be specially trained for ground combat. None of this master at arms BS. I also need an officer. I'm not an officer and the burden of command weighs heavy on my shoulders. I can not plan assaults, only raids with the men in this room.” You explain. “I would appreciate you sending soldiers and an officer specializing in ground combat. Thank you, sir.”

“I will get on it right away. This leads to my next question. Do you think the population fears you?” He asks.

“Sir?” You ask. “I don't understand your question.”

“I've been hearing stories about 'terrifying aliens' from defectors, saying they kill anyone who raises a weapon to them. They have no fur, minimal hair, have no snouts to speak of, and carry weapons made of wood, steel, and plastic. I think that accurately describes every one of your 'Marines', is this correct?” He asks.

“Yes, sir.” You tell him. “I had no idea the kind of fear we struck into the terrorists.”

“Hmm, quite.” He says. “Well, how have you been getting along with everyone? I trust they treat you well.”

“Yes, sir.” You tell him.

“Even the Kavkor? She seems to get along with very few people.” He tells you.

“Yes, even the Kavkor.” You tell him.

“Good. That will be all.” He tells you. “You and your men are dismissed. The Kavkor and I have something to...discuss~.”

You look over at Vikna and she looks back at you scowling fiercely before returning to her blank and militaristic face. You nod, getting up off the chair and saluting.

“Squad, atten...HUH!” You yell.

They all get up and stand at attention.

“Form up!” You yell, your men forming up on you. “Forward...march!”

Everyone marches out of the room as you lead them to the lobby of the space elevator.

3 hours later

You're dusting off what little sediment made it onto your uniform, as well as the fur that was left over from some of the chair's previous occupants. All of the Vietnam era Marines and soldiers were glued to the window, watching ships come and go as anti ship cannons pummeled any terrorist ships that got too close. Parker was also over there, along with Lewis. Argus was sitting by your side, content to observe from a distance.

“Your rifle, Sergeant.” Chuck tells you.

“Thanks Chuck.” You tell him, taking the rifle and bayonet.

“So, your grandpa left you a rifle that's aging even by my standards?” He asks.

“I don't have a bolt gun, especially one that's as nice as this.” You reply. “I'm guessing it was a sniper at one point, considering my grandpa actually got his hands on it and brought it back.”

“Is that why the ammo is all M1 instead of M2 ball?” He asks.

“Must be.” You reply. “Heard the boat tail makes it more accurate.”

“It really does. I had a few clips of it, kept some for long range shooting.” He tells you. “You willing to share some?”

“Sure thing private. Take 80 rounds if you want. I don't mind.” You tell him.

“HEY!” A lady screams. “STOP THAT MAN!”

You look back, seeing a wolf running away with a woman's purse. Even in a place as secure as this, people still snatch purses. You look back at your men and smile.

“Fucking thieves.” You tell Chuck, affixing bayonet. “Time to win hearts and minds.”

You get up and charge after the man, letting out a war cry as you hold your rifle under your shoulder. He looks behind him and yelps, dropping the purse as you continue to run him down. You pick up the purse and take aim, flicking the safety off the rifle as you steady your aim. He keeps running, not bothering to look back as he hopes to outrun you. Little did he know you weren't running. You put your finger over the trigger and begin to pull, letting a breath out.

“Sergeant, no!” Chuck yells. “Don't shoot!”

You let the gun down, flicking the safety back on before taking off the bayonet. The thief continues to run, oblivious to the fact you were ready to shoot him in the back. You sling the rifle and turn back around, seeing Chuck standing in front of you.

“What the hell are you thinking Sergeant? We can't just go around shooting petty criminals. We shoot insurgents, not civilians. Remember that? Remember when you said that to us?” He asks.

“I-I remember.” You tell him.

The lady walks up to you tentatively, allowing you to see she's a golden retriever. You hand the futuristic looking purse back to her and smile, causing her to back away skittishly.

“T-thank you.” She tells you.

“You're welcome ma'am.” You tell her. “Happy to serve.”

You walk back to the seats and see your squad watching as you make your way to the seat you were sitting at. Before you could sit, you hear the door burst open to the meeting room Ayn and Vikna were in. Viknas clothes were being hastily put back on as Ayn shook her head.

“Ta-ta.” Radoslav tells them. “It really was a treat having you two in here.”

“T-thank you, your excellency.” Vikna says shakily, sounding as if she has liquid in her mouth. “I'm grateful you see me in such high regard.”

“Yes, well next time I hope the princess can comply with my request.” He tells them. “I am not a very patient man.”

“Not much of a man at all.” You say under your breath.

Argus snickers at that and so does Chuck. You see the door behind Radoslav close and Vikna drops to the floor, spitting out blood and looking defiled. You rush over to her, seeing Ayn put a hand on her shoulder. You take her in your arms and she begins trying to push away.

“Let me go! I don't want your sympathy!” She yells, struggling to get away. “P-please, just let me be!”

You shake your head, keeping her in an embrace as she tries to wiggle out of your grasp. She eventually lessens her struggle, only pushing against you a little bit as she begins to sob.

“What'd he do to you?” You ask.

“He made her strip naked and pleasure him until he was satisfied. Literally the first thing he did as soon as you left.” Ayn tells you. “Her mouth is bleeding too.”

You think thoughts of breaching the room, gassing it, and going in with a gasmask on. You could definitely get the 5 body guards before needing to load and could take Radoslav out for a...personal apology before sending him on his way. You keep your cool, however. He can't be touched right now. You feel Vikna throw her arms around you and continue to cry into your shoulder.

You hold her tight, not letting her go as she keeps crying, trying her best to say something but always falling short. You rub her hair with your white gloved hand, running your fingers through her ice blue locks as she wets your dress blues with tears. You hear the door open behind her and she buries herself further into you as you look up, seeing Radoslav giving you a smug smile. You pay him no mind as he walks off to the side of the station towards a docking bay.

“Broke another one.” He tells his body guards. “Well, back to the station it is. Long live the Empire.”

“Yeah, heil Hitler.” You tell him, lowering your voice. “Fucking shorty.”

“Hmm? You wish to make something known?” He asks.

“I'm comforting my friend, sir.” You tell him. “I don't want to speak too loud into her ear.”

“Understandable. Your troops will arrive in 4 days, trained and ready to fight.” He tells you. “The officer who will command them is the best of the best.”

You somehow doubted that, but it was better than nothing. You keep holding Vikna as she sobs into your shoulder, staining your blues with tears as she tries to pull her head back for a retort. You keep her head firmly pressed against your shoulder so she couldn't kill everyone in the room. As soon as Radoslav gets into the shuttle bay, you, let her head go and she pushes herself away from you gently. You oblige, letting her go as you both stand up.

“I-I'm sorry.” She tells you.

“You have nothing to be sorry about.” You tell her. “I was the one who-”

You feel a hard smack on your left cheek, sending you reeling back.

“NO! You're not pulling any of that again! Stop taking the blame for my stupid decisions!” She yells. “I-I need to be responsible. I-I'm an adult, not a toddler throwing a tantrum, right?”

You look down at her and see her wipe the blood from her mouth, spitting into a napkin as she hisses in pain.

“Spines?” You ask.

“Yeah.” Ayn tells you. “Wait, how do you...oh Jack, you dirty boy~.”

“It was purely for science. I'm a writer and all information is welcome.” You tell her with a smile.

“You're both idiots.” Vikna says, getting off the floor as she finally gets tired of spitting blood and just shoves the napkin in her mouth.

You and Ayn chuckle at that and you walk back over to your Marines, Vikna and Ayn in tow.

The next day

You're sitting in the chair next to ARA, watching her work while Vikna gets surgery done on her mouth. She'd never tell anyone how she really got the cut, so she just said she ate something called a Cupi pod. Said they're really dangerous to eat if they aren't prepared by a professional chef who specializes in the dish. The pod is covered in spines that extend when the pod senses moisture. It's a sort of defense mechanism to keep creatures from eating and digesting the seeds, since they don't have a tough enough shell to keep the stomach acid from dissolving it.

You felt so bad for her, since you had to guess it was only normal for her to put up with this kind of thing. The fact that she's a mid-tier officer and that she's shorter than almost everyone else, including Radoslav, must make her a prime target for sexual harassment. At least she's not a push over like most girls you've met. She's pretty tough...until she's not. All it could take is one person getting a whiff, a hint of her vulnerability and they'd take advantage of it. That's why she needs to find the right man, before it's too late.

ARA continues to move things around the half circle of a screen, smiling as she does. The glow of the hologram lights up her fur as she smiles brightly, enjoying her work. At least ARA couldn't get sad. At most, she might get upset, but never sad or depressed. She could absolutely go through life being nothing but happy, though she could also go through life being angry just as easily. She's got a bad temper on her and her mood switches constantly. However, you had the insider's scoop on what makes her angry, so you tend to stay away from those topics and try to steer others away from them as well.

One thing you learned about ARA is that she absolutely HATES being touched by anyone she doesn't know personally, and hates hugs from anyone but a select few. Anywhere below the belt and she can get violent, threatening and even attempting to maul anyone who doesn't have proper Kaltag clearance, such as Nytro. Her claws are much sharper than any of the others you've seen yet, having her shave your facial hair off to prove they're “razor sharp”. What makes it even more frightening is that she wouldn't even get punished, as it's in the rules that you don't touch the AI at all. So she could technically get away with murdering someone if they bump into her. However, she's much more forgiving than that, being programmed to know that killing people is ultimately wrong and not productive at all.

You remember when she came in on you and Nytro sparring and nearly electrocuted Nytro to death in defense of “authorized organic personnel of extreme importance” or something to that effect. You told her to go and put this room on her “do not enter outside of dire emergencies” list. Other than being a temperamental ball of potentially perpetual anger, ARA was a really sweet, uh, “girl”. Not too big, not too small, perfectly proportioned body, soft fur, though you were told it was actually ranked as mediocre for an anthroid, and an innocent personality that just makes you want to take her out and teach her about normal people things. She said that was a very odd trait you had, “caring for others so selflessly” as she had put it. You brushed it off, as she definitely did not know the full picture and the depths at which you could go to hate someone or something.

That leads you to yourself. You weren't in the best shape, and you definitely weren't in the best state of mind. Why anyone could want you is beyond you, since the only thing you had going for you is being somewhat funny. Right now you were dressed in your blues, which made you look more official. People didn't even ask for an ID any more, assuming you had one due to your uniform. Good thing you made an effort to purchase it and put ribbons on it. Made you look important even though you weren't. ARA continues to work before glancing over at you and smiling.

“You're still here? I thought I would've bored you by now.” She says.

“I'm easily entertained.” You tell her. “Once, when I was young, I would just sit on the counter and open up the door to the cabinet and close them for hours. So if I can be entertained by a wooden door, I can be entertained by anything.”

“Interesting.” She says, going back to her work. “I have a massive backlog, lots of data needing to go all over the place. It's quite a handful, but I've been waiting for the opportunity to stretch my metaphorical computational legs. This is actually going to be challenging to get done within the allotted time. However, I'm confident I can get it done.”

“Great.” You tell her.

You both just sit there for a while, you watching ARA work and her relaying at what she called “max speed”, which you could barely follow. Steam begins to vent from her ears and nose every time she breathes out, leading you to believe she's working hard. Then it begins to force itself out, bellowing from her nose, ears, and mouth.

“ARA, are you okay?” You ask.

“I am overheating.” She tells you. “This is new to me. If this keeps up, I may need to shed my clothing.”

“Do you think you could take a break and cool down? I can go get you some water or coolant of some kind.” You tell her.

“Water would be fantastic.” She tells you. “If you could, mix it with glycol so it doesn't boil off as fast.”

“Sure thing, I'll be right back.” You tell her, getting up and walking down the metallic halls.

As you make your way towards the bar, you run into warning on accident, knocking her over.

“Warning! This unit has fallen and requests assistance getting up!” Warning yells.

“Sorry about that.” You say, crouching down and giving her a hand.

“Thankful response! This unit must apologize for not making herself known.” Warning tells you. “She must be on her way! There are many alerts and warnings that have been piling up!”

You nod, getting off the floor and continuing down the hall towards the bar. You know they have glycol there because it's an alcohol substitute for anthros. You make it into the bar and walk over to the drink mixer, grabbing an ice pitcher before putting it under the water faucet. The faucet automatically fills the pitcher up half way, allowing you to take it out and put it under the glycol faucet. When you begin pouring the green chemical into the water, it automatically stops, requiring authorization for more glycol. You put your ID up to the machine and it accepts it, allowing you to fill the pitcher with glycol and water. You cap the pitcher off and shake it vigorously, mixing the two liquids into a deadly cocktail that would most certainly kill an organic drinker.

You exit the bar, making your way back down the hall as anthros pass you by. When you're about half way down the hall, an anthro stops you.

“Hey buddy, you know that's a lethal amount of glycol in there, right?” She asks.

“Yes, I'm not drinking it. An anthroid is.” You tell her. “I'm not going to poison myself.”

“Alright, be careful not to spill it. Some of us can't help ourselves.” She says, continuing down the hall.

You nod, continuing down the metallic hall as you near the door to the Apex AI room. When you reach it, the door opens automatically and you see an anthro standing in front of her.

“-such a tease. You never let any of us anywhere near you and it's so frustrating!” He says, stomping on the floor. “You know what? I think I'm gonna take you for myself.”

“Uh, no you're not.” She says, getting off the console and unplugging her tail. “You don't have the clearance to make that decision.”

“Like hell I don't. I didn't buy a Faraday field for nothing.” He says slyly.

You set the glycol pitcher down on the console as he grabs her shoulder, prompting her hair to raise. Electricity arcs from the tips of her fur, not doing anything to the perpetrator as he begins to chuckle.

“You're so hot ARA 0-1-1. You're the perfect size and shape for me. Once I break you in, you'll be my little fuck buddy too.” He says holding ARAs arms at bay as she tries to struggle against his grasp.

“Buddy, I'd let her go if I were you.” You tell him.

“Hmm? Why? Don't tell me you're here to stop me. I know every single person who works with this little tease wants to plow her into the ground. Nobody else is allowed in here but the Kavkor, and she's out getting surgery for eating a Cupi pod. So come on, I'll let you go next if you let me give it to her first.” He says. “You can even jack off, I don't give a shit.”

“I don't think so.” You tell him, unslinging your rifle you had slung across your back. “I'll let you in on a little secret. You feel how hot she is right now? Almost too hot to touch?”

“Yeah, what about it?” He asks. “I think she just has the hots for me and wants me to go to town on her~.”

“N-no I don't!” She yells.

“No, you got it all wrong.” You tell him, affixing your bayonet. “She's hot because she's been running at max power for an hour straight with no breaks. The steam you see coming from her ears? Think about how hot it has to be for steam to be produced from coolant.”

“Oh...” He says.

“That steam you see coming out of her? It's hot enough to melt the fur off your flesh, and the flesh off your bones. Now considering I'm definitely a higher rank than you, I could, for instance, tell her to restrain you in place.” You tell him.

ARA takes the hint and smirks, grasping his arms as he is now the one trying to get away.

“Then, I could, theoretically, tell her to melt your face with steam so hot it can melt plasteel.” You tell him.

“N-no, please!” He yells.

ARA begins to grin, her eyes half shut as she begins to open her mouth. His ears fold back and his tail tucks under his body in fright. He begins to struggle, but ARA grips him like a vice. She lets more steam out of her ears and nose, presumably for dramatic effect as he begins to struggle even more.

“Isn't this what you wanted? More affection?” ARA asks with that same grin plastered on her face. “Why do you organics never want what you ask for?”

“NO! PLEASE! DON'T DO IT! I BEG YOU!” He screams, struggling as if his life depended on it. “I'LL LEAVE HER ALONE, JUST DON'T MELT MY FACE!”

“And if that doesn't kill you before she's cooled off, I could run you through with a bayonet.” You tell him. “Wouldn't that be fun?”

“JESUS CHRIST! YOU'RE CRAZY!” He screams. “I PROMISE I WON'T TOUCH HER AGAIN! PLEASE LET ME GO! I BEG YOU!”

“Since you asked so nicely...ARA, let him go.” You tell her, aiming the rifle at him.

She lets the man go and he turns around, seeing a rifle being pointed at him. He puts his hands up and you thumb towards the door. He moves slowly towards the door as you strafe left, allowing him to pass as he continues to keep his hands up. When he makes it out the door, he breaks into a mad sprint down the hall, slipping and falling before he scrambles around a corner. When the door closes, you chuckle a bit, unhooking your bayonet and putting it in the scabbard.

You sling your rifle and grab the glycol cocktail, walking over to ARA. Her fur is now back to normal, but steam is venting from inside of her still.

“Here's your antifreeze.” You tell her. “Make sure to finish it, the mixture is lethal to anthros.”

She nods and takes the pitcher, uncapping it and putting it to her mouth, she begins to chug the liquid, steam flaring out of her nostrils and ears as the coolant works its magic. She continues to down the mixture, steam hissing out of her various openings. You step back as she continues to ingest the coolant, for fear of burning yourself on the steam you threatened the man with. When she finishes the pitcher, the steam has subsided, which means she's either boiled it all off, or she's completely cooled down.

“Thank you Jackson. I appreciate you helping me with that thug and my overheating problem.” She says before burping a bit. “Oops, excuse me.”

You snicker at that, walking back to your seat as you do.

“You're welcome.” You tell her. “Holy shit, that was so edgy I think I gave myself a paper cut.”

“Really? Where?” ARA asks, looking you over.

“It's a metaphor. Ayn can explain it better than I can.” You tell her. “Well, back to it, right?”

“Right!” She says, sitting back down and getting to work.


	8. Chapter 7: The Sianian, the Irishman, and the Frost Giant

Day zero

You finally get the last piece of the armor Ayn and Nytro insist you wear onto your wrist, making sure it was secured in place. You strap your scabbard to your back and take the sword out, seeing it was perfectly polished. Hopefully it served a purpose other than being pretty and shiny. You put the sword back in the scabbard and sling your rifle on your shoulder. You had filled up a bandoleer with about 20 clips of 30-06, meaning you wouldn't be running out any time soon. Not that you thought you'd need it, but it's better to be prepared.

“Are you ready?” Ayn asks, much more serious than usual.

“Yes ma'am.” You tell her. “How about you?”

“As ready as I can get.” She tells you, stamping the ground with the bottom of her staff.

“Take that fishing line off your staff. It adds weight and Loki is just going to cut it if you use it.” You tell her. “Then you'd be out a weapon.”

She cocks her head, looking down at the winch assembly. She then nods, bringing a foot up and slamming it back down on the contraption. The winch breaks off and you offer her your bayonet to cut the rope off the anchor point. She takes it, snipping the rope off and handing your bayonet back. You sheath the bayonet and follow her out the door, stepping over the jankily made winch on your way out.

“You can do it me boy. I believe in you.” Your grandpa says as you exit the room. “The goddess of war protects yeh.”

You nod and the door closes behind you as you see Nytro at the end of the hall. He has the same somber expression Ayn has.

“Cheer up ladies.” You tell them. “If everything goes to shit, I have Marines posted all over the square to take a shot at the big bastard.”

All 3 of you enter an elevator and begin descending, the window on the back of the elevator revealing it was pouring with rain. A bolt of lightning strikes in the distance as the thunder barely makes it through the constant whine of the elevator. When it reaches ground floor, all 3 of you walk out to a much more sparsely populated area. You could hear your heart pulsing in your ear as the breath of your 2 comrades dominates your hearing. You walk past one of the remaining families and they recognize you and Ayn, pointing and whispering as you all ignore them. All you could focus on was making sure you could do your part in this fight.

Whether your grandpa liked it or not, this was Ayn's fight. You weren't even on the same spectrum as Loki and even if you were, he's a literal god. There's no way you would be able to match his skill in swordsmanship unless you got some bullshit deus ex machina. You make it outside where an armored transport was waiting. Vikna was in the drivers seat, obviously having cried before coming here. She looked beat, as if she was completely worn out without having done anything.

“Hop in.” Is all she says before Ayn and Nytro step inside.

You get in next, slamming the side door closed as you begin to hover off the ground. You were ready for war, and ready to die for your friends.

2 hours later

You make it to the crossroads TDK had pinpointed as his likely arrival spot. All three of you step out and Vikna pulls away, fading into the distance as the drone of plasma engines fades in the distance. You take out Old Glory, setting her down a bit further back in the stand ARA had made for you. Nobody would make it past the flag in one piece.

“He's coming. I feel it.” Ayn tells you. “The static in the air.”

“I don't know if it's such a good idea to be standing so close to a potential lightning strike.” Nytro adds in.

You don't say anything, too focused on what was happening. Then, it happened. A massive bolt of lightning strikes down in the middle of the crossroads, making a loud thunderclap that makes you jump. However, you hold firm, drawing your sword. You take the fighting stance Nytro had taught you, Ayn leading the group as you all push forward. When the smoke clears, a massive lion is revealed, kneeling on the floor with armor that looked like leather with steel plates molded inside. He grabs the sword off his back, the weapon being almost as tall as you were. When he stands, you're given a scale of just how massive he is. Just shy of 10 feet tall is nothing to scoff at. He opens his eyes and looks at you all with his crimson red irises, seeing you all as less than dirt beneath his boot.

“We have unfinished business princess.” He says, smirking as all 3 of you advance on him. “Let's remove the small fry from the game, shall we?”

Before you could react, you feel the wind get knocked out of you as a blast of water hits you square in the chest. You feel yourself slam into something hard, crying out in pain as you hit it. You try to move, but it feels like a current is pushing against your body and pinning you to wherever you're pinned. When you open your eyes, you look down and see a thin layer of water holding you in place, not allowing you to move anything but your neck. You take a deep breath, trying to shake off the daze of being slammed into a building.

“That's much better. Now, back to our fight.” He tells you. “Winner takes all. No blue monsters to save you this time.”

You struggle against the current, trying to fight your way out of it as you watch the battle begin with a desperate parry from Ayn, managing to deflect a swift but heavy blow from Loki's blade. You try harder to get out, but barely manage to move an inch before relaxing back again. You needed to save your strength. As Ayn continues her desperate fight for survival, your radio comes to life.

“Sergeant, you're pinned.” Chuck says, stating the obvious. “Want us to take the shot?”

“Negative, hold your fire until I give the order. No matter how bad things look.” You say, before trying to struggle away again.

It feels like a rip tide pulling you into the building. No matter how hard you push against it, the ocean will always win. More metallic clangs ring out as Ayn manages to dodge another heavy blow, getting a good hit in on his jaw with the stone on her staff. Loki howls out in pain and roars, bringing his sword down hard. The massive blade bends the staff down the middle, effectively destroying it as the force of the blow rips it from Ayn's hands.

“My staff!” She yells.

“Little girl, don't you know it's bad to steal things that aren't yours?” He asks, pealing the staff from his sword.

Then, it hits you. You can't win against a rip tide by pushing against it, you have to let it carry you out to sea before it cycles you back into a sand bar or the beach. You let yourself relax, your legs going out from under you as you slowly begin to sink into the water. The pressure was immense, pressing your head back against the wall as water tried to force its way into your lungs. You wouldn't let it, however, so you kept letting yourself slide down. When your nose pops out of the bottom of the watery prison, you gasp for air, laying down on the ground as you catch your breath. Your vision was blurry from the water and you were blinking it away as fast as you could. When you can finally see again, you look over and find Ayn dodging as if her life depended on it.

“I'm going to have fun ripping you to pieces for humiliating me in that dream missy, but first, I think you know exactly what I want to do~.” He tells her, smiling.

You pick your sword up off the ground, which had slipped out of your grasp when you lowered yourself into the crushing watery prison. You see Ayn barely hop out of the way of a pavement-destroying strike, blood and cuts already present on her body. Those must all be from glancing hits. Loki slams his sword against the ground and throws a water whip her way, tripping her up and forcing her to the ground. She tries to get back up, but Loki is on top of her before she can. She tries her hardest to push him off, but she just doesn't have the strength.

“M-my strength, it's-”

“Gone?” He asks. “It's a new poison I've concocted. It even works on gods like you and I. Those glancing blows blows were all I needed to render you completely vulnerable to my attacks. Your struggling, however, has lead to me losing my lust for you, so I've decided I shall accelerate your fate.”

“W-what?” She asks. “No!”

“Yes princess. You will die in vain, powerless to stop me as I destroy your entire planet and murder all of your people. They will know suffering never experienced by any mortal before now.” He tells her, grinning as he runs his blade along her chin. “There's nothing you can do to stop me.”

You grit your teeth, pushing yourself off the floor as you walk forward, still weak from being thrown against a building. You walk unsteadily towards Loki as Ayn looks around wildly, hoping to find something that might help her. All she sees is you, walking weakly towards Loki with a sword dragging along the ground as you fight to keep upright. Ayn quickly looks back to him, making him smile with glee as he nears the finish line. He raises his sword above his head, just like in the dream you and Ayn shared. This puts your body into overdrive, giving all of your strength back and then some as you pick of the sword and run towards Ayn.

When Loki swings downward, time seems to slow as you bring the swords down to waist level, when you reach Ayn, your swords collide with a deafening clang. Time returns to normal and it takes all of your might to keep that sword from getting any closer to Ayn. Then, the runes on the side of your blade begin glowing.

“Are you kidding me?” Loki asks. “AGAIN?!”

Your body seems locked in place, the harder he pushed, the harder you pushed back. You had to think of something cool to say and fast. You say the first thing that comes to mind.

“Top of the mornin' to yeh laddie.” You say, out of breath. “At least I di' nay slice yer sword in harf.”

That was weak.

“You did that? A Celtic?” He asks. “A GOD DAMN CELTIC?!”

He roars in frustration and lifts his sword, turning his attention to you as he thrusts a hand out. You flinch, awaiting the feeling of the water inside your body being used to rip you apart, but it never comes.

“My magic, it's not working!” He yells.

“Magic runes laddie!” You tell him, blatantly stealing from your favorite childhood TV character. “All them nordic tricks'll get yeh nowhere! Now quit yer magic spells and get to fightin'!”

“You Irish bastard! I'll rip you apart!” He shouts, enraged.

He puts both hands on his sword and takes a massive swing, intent on breaking your sword or at the very least disarming you. Your stance was correct and almost instinctual, having been the first thing Nytro beat into you. Even if Loki would knock your sword away, at least you were doing things correctly. You go in for a counter swing and the clang from your swords is ear splitting. Loki's arm recoils from the force and he grunts in frustration.

“Your arms are too puny to match my might! How are you able to match my strength, let alone hold your ground?!” He asks.

“Uh, I dunno.” You say over the rain. “I think it's deus ex machina.”

You and him just stand there for a bit as the rain continues to fall. Neither of you wanted to be the first one to move. Loki most likely out of fear of humiliation and you out of fear your counter was a fluke.

“So, uh, are we going to keep going?” You ask.

“I do not know.” He replies. “I believe this may go on for an unnecessary amount of time should we proceed.”

“Yeah, this is stupid. This entire fucking thing is stupid.” You tell him. “You wanna just, like, go?”

“Yes, I think that would be the best course of action.” He tells you. “I think I should go.”

“Well, see you later, I guess.” You tell him.

“Yes, good bye.” He tells you before a bolt of lightning strikes down on the ground, leaving nothing but steam and smoke in its wake as Loki vanishes.

“That was so fucking stupid.” You tell yourself.

“What?” Nytro asks, having been waiting behind Loki the entire time, his hair now a frizzled mess.

“I'm just as confused as you buddy.” You tell him, looking around. “Unless he's pulling some shit, I think he's gone.”

You both just stand there, looking around and kicking the water around. You feel like you're forgetting something. Then you look over and see Ayn laying in the street like a rag doll, looking over at you two with pleading eyes.

“AYN!” You yell, sheathing your sword and running over to her.

You slide to a stop on the slightly slippery metallic looking pavement. When you reach her, you kneel down and see her tracking you with her eyes. At least she can move them.

“Move if you can.” You tell her, putting a hand on her shoulder.

She doesn't move at all, completely paralyzed from the poison Loki hit her with. You put an arm under her shoulders and knees, hefting her up before realizing that's not going to work. She's way to heavy for a bridal carry.

“Nytro, can you carry her?” You ask.

“Not for any length of time.” He replies.

“I'm not calling you fat, for the record.” You tell her.

She rolls her eyes and you get on the radio, trying to get in contact with Vikna.

“Victor Romeo, Bulldog 2-6, how copy?” You ask.

“Bulldog 2-6, this is Victor Romeo, read you loud and clear. Is the POI dealt with?” She asks.

“You wouldn't believe what a little bit of talking can do.” You reply. “We got wounded here, need evac ASAP.”

“On my way. ETA 2 Mikes.” She says. “Victor Romeo out.”

You switch the channel your own and get in contact with your “sniper” teams.

“Eagle Eye, Bulldog 2-6, how's everything looking?” You ask.

“No sign of the big bastard. Think you gave him a scare.” Argus tells you.

Everyone else radios in, telling you there's no sight of him. You sigh, relieved. When you look down at Ayn, you see a grin plastered on her face.

“You said...you couldn't fight...with a sword.” She says, struggling to speak.

“Save your breath.” You tell her. “I doubt that poison only paralyzes you.”

Just as you say that, you hear boots clicking behind you.

“Who are you citizen?” A voice asks you.

You turn around, seeing a very large and muscular red fox wearing some sort of body suit. It looked futuristic, with red lighting all around the various seams in the armor and a dotted pattern indicating some alien form of fabrication. He gives you a smile and you get a good look at his eyes. They were orange in color, just like his fur.

“My name's Jackson.” You tell him. “Who are you?”

“My name's Fire Fighter.” He tells you. “I was heading in to see what the disturbance was until I saw you and that Goliath dueling it out. Well, for a total of 1 swing until he vanished. I must say you have a pretty impressive swing.”

“We talked.” You tell him. “It was pointless to go on, since he knew I wasn't going to budge and I knew he wasn't going to budge. He left, that's all. No magic to it.”

“Well, not all fights have to be spectacular to be important.” He says. “You saved many lives today, as that beast and I have clashed before. The consequences were...dire.”

“Jesus, I never thought I'd see Fire Fighter in the flesh.” Nytro says. “Name's Ar-er, Nytro, sir.”

“Nice to meet you Nytro.” He says with a smile. “Who's the beautiful lady behind you?”

“Princess Ayn.” You tell him.

“Really? What is she doing all the way out here?” He asks.

“I honestly thought she was our best chance at defeating Loki, it turns out my sword is more powerful than I thought.” You reply.

As you say that, the familiar sound of a plasma engine catches your attention over the rain.

“I must go now. Thank you citizen, I sense you'll make a great hero one day.” He says, walking away.

When he's a sufficient ways away, a bright flash emits from his hands and he blasts off into the sky, powered by magical flames. After watching the spectacle for a few more seconds, the plasma engine is right behind you at this point. You turn around and see Vikna helping pull Ayn into the back.

“What happened to her?” Vikna asks.

“He used a poison to paralyze her.” You reply.

“That's impossible. She has the highest grade artificial kidneys and liver money can buy, on top of the natural ones inside her. How could it work on her?” She asks.

“I'm guessing it doesn't work on whatever poison he made. Maybe it's nano machines?” You ask. “I don't know.”

“Possibly. Get in and you can tell me what happened on the way.” She says, helping Nytro in the back.

You nod, getting inside the back of the armored truck before closing the door and turning on the lights. It may be day time, but the clouds are so thick they blot out most of the two suns.

10 minutes later

You're finishing drying Ayn off with a towel when you sit back in the seat, allowing her head to rest in your lap. She was still unable to move and had been bandaged up as best as you knew how, but she'd definitely need to be cleaned when she got back to The Tower.

“Thank...you.” She says weakly.

“No problem.” You tell her.

“So, about what happened?” Vikna asks.

“Oh, yeah.” You reply. “Well, it was kind of extremely anti-climactic. I think we both realized that it was going to be a long drawn out anime battle that would accomplish absolutely nothing.”

“What do you mean we? You say that as if you did anything.” She says.

“Well, I did get exactly 2 swings in.” You tell her. “None of them hit him, but they definitely hit his sword.”

“Yeah, he saved Ayn from getting sliced into pieces.” Nytro says.

“Don't lie for him Nytro. I know he's not that strong.” Vikna tells him.

“It was...his...sword.” Ayn adds weakly. “It's...magic.”

You unsheathe the sword and Vikna presses a button, looking back at all of you. The runes on the side of your sword glow a bit before going dormant again, causing her to cock her head.

“It glows?” She asks.

“No, they're runes.” You tell her. “Celtic runes. I forgot how to read Gaelic, but I'm absolutely sure one of these runes is strength.”

“So, your grandpa shows up last month promising that Loki is gonna show up, gives you a magic sword, which you then use to defeat Loki with 2 hits that don't even hit him?” She asks.

“That's the thing. We talked, agreed the whole thing was stupid and pointless, and he just left.” You tell her.

“YOU LET HIM LEAVE?!” She asks angrily. “Do you even know what he's going to do?!”

“If this follows stupid cartoon logic like Loki does, he's probably going to be scheming for a while.” You tell her.

“Cartoon logic?! LISTEN TO YOURSELF! This is real life! Not a cartoon!” Vikna shouts. “He's going to kill more innocent people!”

“No he won't.” You tell her.

“Yes he will!” She yells.

“Vikna, I know the guy. He's honestly not the smartest person on earth. Right now he's probably seething with rage at how he got beaten by some stupid Irish boy from buttfuck nowhere that anything he does will involve breaking furniture and electronics in a fit of broken pride and rage.” You tell her. “He's like a cartoon.”

“No, he's not.” Vikna tells you. “He's a shifty man and will find a way to hurt you when you least expect it.”

“Sure, Vikna.” You tell her.

8 hours later

Loki

You finish putting the contacts into your eyes, looking into the mirror at yourself.

“You shall...no, it goes like this.” You say, shifting your voice around. “You must let me in!”

You look at the red and white fur adorning you, smiling into the mirror as your contacts glowed a sky blue color. It was the same color as everything else in this wretched place. Too much blue, not enough red. At least now you were adorned with your favorite color. That idiot Celt would never notice the difference between you and the real thing.

However, the female forms of this universe were much more prone to...how is it said...pheromones? You couldn't smell anything in the incessant rain, which is one of the other reasons you chose to appear during the rain storm. It meant you wouldn't have to smell the disgusting musk you smelled on him during your run in with the glycol. It...did things to you. No matter, you will get in, kill anyone who gets in your way, kill the Celt, and get out. He tipped the scales one too many times.

“This voice is going to get very annoying very quickly.” You tell yourself, finally getting the vocals down for this, ARA character. “I hate the sound of its voice so much. Sounds too...Americanized.”

That pitiful little man will know pain unlike anything he's ever felt before.

3 hours later

You finish choking out another security guard as his eyes roll back into his head. You smirk at his demise, happy to have destroy the life of another denizen inhabiting this filthy planet. When you get back off the floor of the guard post you bite your bottom lip, enjoying the violence of strangling someone to the point of being unconscious, even better when you kill them in the process. Especially when they realize this little anthroid form is much stronger than them.

You continue walking down the hall, a sway in your hips as you compensate for the sizable pelvis of this robotic female. When you reach the room you desire, you feel a slight shock come from your eyes and hiss, taking the contacts out with haste. When you look into the back of them, the electronics look completely fried. Cheap technology has no place upon your body, so you throw them down on the floor. You open the door to his room by hand, using a knife to unlock the locks inside and force the doors open.

You look inside and see the Celt sleeping on a couch, blissfully unaware of your presence as you close in. Then, the part of this mission to avenge your pride that you dreaded most comes to fruition. His scent. You grit your teeth, covering your nose with your hands rather forcefully. It makes a light slap, and this is enough to wake him.

“O-oh, hey ARA.” He says.

“H-hello!” You respond, uncovering your nose as his scent wafts into your nostrils again. “I have come to check on you.”

“Oh, I was just sleeping.” He tells you. “I got lucky today and need to rest up so Nytro can train me some more tomorrow. I see you're wearing that dress you hate.”

“Y-yes, I was, uh, forced to wear it!” You tell him, being as cheerful as that robot was when you observed her. “Important visitors and all that!”

“I understand.” He says. “Well, I'm fine. Unless you want to stay a while and talk.”

“I would love to talk!” You tell him, giving him a fake smile as the smell seems to accelerate up your nasal cavity. “Please, you must tell me about today.”

“I thought I already did.” He says. “Must've been dreaming.”

Gods, now you have to listen to him boast about “beating you into a pulp” or some other fabrication of how things went down. All while sitting in a cloud of that intoxicating scent that you hated so much. It's already making you wet down below, who knows what it will do during his fantastical and fictional tail of beating you?

“Well, we all rolled up in an armored car, ready to kick some ass as the rain fell around us. Then, in a cartoonishly dramatic entrance, Loki pops up and does his whole routine. Bad guy monologue and all of that.” He begins.

How dare he insult the monologue. Your schemes were brilliant, and there was no harm in telling someone a bit of it before killing them off. Your entrances weren't “cartoonish” either. They had flare to them, to strike fear into your opponents.

“Anyways, he throws me against a wall and nearly breaks my spine as he begins smacking Ayn around like a rag doll with his massive sword. Damn thing's as big as I am. Then he gets mad at her parrying his attacks, so he just slams his sword down on her staff and bends it in half. I could hardly lift the thing when she let me try it out, but he just bends it in half like it's nothing. Ayn is dodging and weaving, trying to get out of the way of his attacks while I try to force my way out of this straight jacket made of water. Then, I realize that you can't win against water magic by pushing against it, you have to go with the flow.” He explains. “So I just relaxed my body and slid out from under the water.”

So that's how he freed himself? He didn't just power his way out as you suspected.

“Yes, go on...” You tell him, beginning to feel his musk merge with your very being as you sit down on the chair beside the couch.

“So now I have to get myself off the ground after possibly breaking my spine. This is the point where that poison he whipped up completely stripped Ayn's ability to fight away from her and she just flopped on the floor. I think he was going to rape her, but just got a bit too angry at the fact she kept running. That and I doubt her muscles down in her private place were still working.” He tells you.

It's true. You were going to enjoy your prize, or “rape her” as he puts it. It's every conquerors right to claim what he has rightfully won and do with it as he pleases. However, he was also right that her muscles were completely unable to function. Outside of her lungs breathing, her heart beating, and her eyes blinking, she was completely unable to move. How she was able to breath and her heart was able to beat, you had no idea, but she would've felt every ounce of pain you dealt her. Especially if you stretched her to her limits as you had last time. The perks of having a massive form like yours is that even the biggest of women will be no match for your monster erection. By Odin, you could totally go for an erection inside you right now...

“So my sword begins glowing when I finally make my way over there and I stop his blade. I don't even know how I did it, I just did. Remember how I told you about that time I cut his sword in half with an energy sword from that video game? It was like that, but this time I didn't cut through the sword.” He says.

From a video game?! Is this boy a pathetic shut in as well?! How in Asgard did this pathetic whelp manage to keep you at bay?

“He's obviously mad by now and I get into a fighting stance, hoping to buy Nytro some time by keeping his attention away from him, but he did a heavy strike. I knew it was all over at that point, as he'd either break my sword or send it flying from my grip. That, or he'd break my wrists and I'd be in so much pain I couldn't do anything but scream. Fortunately, the strength rune on my blade helped me, and I was able to stand my ground.” He continues.

Strength rune? That sounds like bullshit to you. Guess he did really mean it when he said that phrase.

“Well, we talked it out, realizing the entire situation was fucking stupid and cartoonish to begin with. He went off to do whatever while I had to tend to Ayn's wounds.” He says, picking his scabbard off the ground. “So...what did you do when you vanished?”

Your ears fold back as he looks over to you, a smile adorning his face as he looks you over.

“W-what?” You ask, trying to keep up the facade. “What do you mean?”

“Don't bullshit me man. I knew as soon as I saw your eyes. The pattern in her fur isn't nearly that perfect and symmetrical. Not to mention your mouth and paw pads are pink instead of glowing blue like hers are.” He says, unsheathing the blade. “You probably would've gotten away with it had you not slapped yourself.”

Fuck, you're caught. The scent of him is driving you mad by now. You needed to kill him and get out of there, or you needed to relieve yourself. He looks down below you and raises an eyebrow before snickering.

“Are you kidding me?” He asks. “Why the hell are you wet?”

“F-fuck you.” You tell him in that robots voice, which seems to have stuck now. “You need a shower, you filthy pig!”

You get up off the chair, drawing your dagger as the Celt raises his sword in defense. You leap at him, hoping to kill him before he can put up a defense. However, you fail, and he gets the sword into a perfect position to block. The dagger and sword clash and you feel the blade snap under your might. It was like you sliced into a brick wall! You lose balance, barely managing to avoid being cut by his blade. You hit the floor with a thud, your ass striking the floor as you let out a slight moan. You couldn't take this any more. You give up, he wins! You just need somebody to fornicate with right now!

Jack

You see Loki in ARAs body leap at you, drawing a dagger as you bring your sword to bear. He slams the knife down on your blade and it snaps as if it was made of plastic. He barely manages to move his head as he slams into the floor below you. He lets out a moan, his tongue lolling out as his fingers undo the underwear he had on. You hear the distinct sound of schlicking as he flips himself over, looking up at you longingly.

“Oh my god, your stench, please! I need you to fornicate with me! I require your cock inside me or I'll go mad!” He yells, continuing to moan and pant as he continues to finger himself. “Y-you win! I don't care any more, I just need your penis inside me!”

“Dude, you know I don't roll that way, right?” You ask.

“I see no balls or penis on this form! I am both physically and psychologically a female!” He/she yells. “Please, I beg of you, I concede and will never cause trouble again! Just shove yourself inside me and cum!”

“Dude, I'm not-”

“If you say no one more time I will murder you and find someone else to sate my needs!” 'They' yell. “I am giving you FREE sex with a god! You should be on your knees giving it to me rough!”

It's creepy when he talks like that in ARAs voice. However, you knew the feeling. If you stuck to an Irish accent too long it would stick. Still, he's asking for sex that your dick isn't sure about.

“Oh my gods, MAKE UP YOUR MIND!” She/he shouts, enraged at your indecision. “Shall I kill you or will you fuck me?!”

“You say that you'll stop fucking around with Ayn and all the other planets?” You ask.

“Y-yes!” He yells.

“You aren't lying just to sate whatever problem you're having?” You ask.

“YES!” He screams, hitting his head against the floor. “I keep getting close and the climax just eludes me! Stick your cock inside right now or I'll FORCE YOU TO AND THE BETS ARE OFF!”

“Well, I have a better solution.” You tell him, raising your sword.

“W-wait, NO!” He shouts, his voice coming back.

You slam the sword down on his rib cage, breaking the bone apart and stabbing through the heart. You feel something else crunch underneath and his legs go limp as his eyes widen in shock.

“N-no!” He says, grabbing your blade. “Y-you tricked me!”

“First time for everything.” You say, twisting the sword as another sickening crunch comes from his spine.

He begins to choke on his own blood, your sword having punctured at least one of his lungs too. He tries to push the sword out of him, but his strength is waning. His arms fall to his side as he looks down at you, hatred in his eyes as he grits his teeth in defiance. Shortly after, his head drops dead, the body of ARA and the mind of Loki laying dead on your floor. You pull your sword out of him and one of the runes begins glowing again, a glow coming from the tip of the blade as you pull it closer to you. The rune then flashes, a flowing strand of energy making its way down to the corpse of Loki. Then, it begins to close the wound.

“Uh, what are you doing?!” You ask, trying to pull the sword away from him.

The sword says nothing, as it is just a sword. You see Loki transform back into his old self, taking up quite a bit of floor space in the small room you occupied. Shit, this is bad. This is really bad! The sword continues to heal Loki, as the wound in him finally closes. When it does, his eyes shoot open, looking around the room before locking on you.

“You...” He tells you. “You betrayed me...”

“I-I made no promise.” You tell him, backing up as far as the couch would allow.

“I'LL RIP YOU APART!” He screams, lunging for you.

Just before he reaches you, he freezes mid air, unable to move before falling back on the ground.

“Wait...you killed me...that means...” He says before a look of horror spreads across his face. “No...NO! YOU BASTARD! I'LL BE BACK YOU DIRTY IRISHMAN! I'LL...FUUUCK!'”

His shouting gives way to pained screaming, watching as he thrashes along the floor while the sword continues to pull energy from itself and pump it into Loki. He writhes in pain as if he's covered in fire ants and tries to brush them off. However, there's nothing to brush off, so his efforts are in vain. Pretty soon, he goes limp, laying motionless on the floor with his eyes open. You bring the sword around with you, making your way up to his head before looking him over. Then, something catches your eyes. The red irises are changing color. They slowly begin to change from a crimson red to a light blue color before holding at light blue.

The sword stops spewing energy from it and you set it aside, watching the body as it just sits there, doing nothing. Then, you hear a groan.

“What happened?” He asks, his voice no longer over the top and deep like it was, even borderline British. “Am I dead?”

“Loki?” You ask.

“Yes, that's my name.” He says, looking over at you. “Who are you? Wait, I'm remembering something. Oh...oooh...that's...we didn't...”

“No.” You say.

“Good, because I don't want a repeat of what I did as a horse.” He tells you. “I can't seem to remember anything beyond you killing me and that moment of, uh, passion is too strong of a word.”

“I, uh, would rather not talk about it.” You tell him.

“So, would you mind telling me what I did for almost 20 years?” He asks.

“Oh, well, that's a long story.” You tell him.

“Believe me, I've got plenty of time.” He tells you. “Thank you for freeing me from that prison by the way. You have my gratitude.”

“This isn't another trick, is it?” You ask.

“What? No. If I wanted to kill you I would have already. So...start talking.” He says with a smile.

2 hours later

“So, if I remember correctly, I went on a spree of lying, deceiving, destroying, conquering, killing, and, er, fucking, for twenty years straight?” He asks you.

“Yes.” You tell him.

“In that time, nobody has managed to beat or even equal me, except one girl from, as you call it, space middle east?” He asks.

“Yes.” You reply.

“This girl...is the goddess of lust and fertility?” He asks.

“The physical embodiment, yes.” You say.

“Did we...do it?” He asks.

“Much to her displeasure, yes.” You reply.

“Why would she be displeased?” He asks.

“You torched one of her cities, killed most of its inhabitants, enslaved the rest, and killed them off later when you found out their antics did not amuse you anymore.” You reply. “You also haunted her dreams either weekly or monthly. I can't for the life of me remember which one.”

“I see...” He says, looking off to the side. “I must apologize to her. My usual antics include things like pranks and trickery, not things like this. Something must have angered me to the point of going mad.”

“Are you going to at least shrink yourself down a bit?” You ask, looking up at his towering form. “Make yourself a bit more presentable?”

“Ah, yes. I was wondering why I was so exhausted.” He replies. “I'll do that post haste.”

Just as he says that, he shrinks in size significantly, retaining his muscular stature while sizing down to just a bit taller than you. You smile at that, as at least now someone you knew was taller than you.

“So, that thing with Thor becoming king of Asgard never happened?” You ask.

“No, not yet. Father still has some time left before his rule comes to an end.” He tells you. “Besides, Thor is the rightful heir to Asgard. I am a frost giant, not an Asgardian. Speaking of which, is there some way to contact father? I wish to notify him I am well.”

“I don't know.” You tell him. “I don't think the Bi-frost is even capable of being called or reached.”

Just as you say that, the door to your room opens, revealing the back of a familiar Germanic dog.

“Hello herr Jackson. You must wake up. I brought you breakfast for your big day of training. Can't train to fight Loki on an empty stomach, right?” She asks, turning around.

As soon as she does, she freezes in shock as she looks to the man beside you.

“Zofie, don't be frightened. He's-”

“T-that's Loki!” She yells. “Right beside you!”

“Zofie, don't drop the food and make a mess. Just calm-”

She immediately drops the food on the ground putting her hands up to her chest as if to keep him away. You turn towards him and sigh.

“Don't move an inch. Stay completely still while I talk to her.” You tell him.

“I will not move a muscle.” He tells you, freezing in place as if he were a statue.

You get up from the couch, seeing Zofie begin to quake with fear. You step over the mess of pancakes and spilled milk on the floor, taking her by the shoulders and turning her around. When you're both outside the door, you put a hand on her shoulder.

“T-that's...that's, that's-”

“Yes, it's Loki.” You tell her. “He's changed. Just calm down a second.”

“But-”

“I said, calm down.” You tell her, putting a hand on her head. “Everything is going to be fine. Just go back and make some more food for us and I'll be waiting for you. He's not going to hurt you, I promise on my life.”

“I-I...okay.” She says, her tail going limp behind her. “I'll remake the food. I'm sorry I dropped it.”

“It's okay, I forgive you. Just calm down and try to focus on making the food. Don't worry about me, Loki, or anyone else.” You tell her. “Okay?”

“Okay.” She replies, walking back down the hall.

2 hours later

You're walking towards the medical wing of the 57th floor, having been fed and explained to Zofie that Loki wasn't a threat. You failed to mention that Loki dressed himself up as ARA and planned to stab you in your sleep. The robes he “borrowed” from ARA were torn to shreds, which you were going to have to explain to her. You hadn't even noticed that he was naked in all the commotion, not that the lighting in your room allowed for it anyways. Vikna had yet to meet him, and probably would not meet him until you briefed her on what was going on. You didn't need her to kill Loki, or to be killed by him.

You make it to the medical wing and scare nearly everyone half to death when you enter. They steer well clear of the man beside you, even running to the farthest end of the waiting room as you make your way to the front desk. The giraffe manning the front desk paid you no mind until you're right in front of her.

“Hello, I'll be with you in a...oh my...” She says, looking up from what she's doing.

“Please, my fair dame, I'm only here to apologize to someone I put here. I also believe I may have an antidote for the poison I gave her.” He tells the giraffe. “Please, I must see her.”

“T-there's not much I can do to stop you, she's in room 136.” She says. “D-don't kill the princess please.”

“I would do no such thing.” Loki says. “I will be on my way.”

You both make your way down the hall of injured and near death patients, your sword clinking away on your back as Loki makes quick glances off to the side.

“Ah, here it is.” He says.

“Stay out here. I gotta tell Ayn what's happening.” You tell him. “I'll tell you when you can come in.”

“Alright, I shall wait out here.” He tells you.

You nod, entering the room to see Ayn bristling with medical equipment. She had 3 IV drips hooked up to her and had many more wires coming off her, pulsing blue light as they give electrical signals to a machine. She appeared to be sleeping as you walked up to the side of her bed. You pull up 2 chairs and sit in the one closest to her, putting a hand on her fuzzy arm. This immediately wakes her and she moves her head slowly to look over at you.

“You...came to see me?” She asks, still very weak.

“Yeah.” You tell her. “I just came to tell you I might have found an antidote for the poison Loki gave you.”

“How...did you...find it?” She asks.

“I didn't. Now, I don't want you to freak out when you see who's about to come in. Okay? Can you promise me that?” You ask.

“Oh...my god...please tell me...you didn't do what...I think you did.” She says. “I'll-”

“Ayn, it's fine. My magic sword...did something to him.” You tell her. “He's shorter too. Not too much taller than I am now.”

She sighs, looking back up to the ceiling.

“They can't...find a cure...on their own. All this...technology, and they...can't find a cure...to a poison made...in a garage.” She tells you. “Fine...let the...bastard in.”

“Loki, you can come in now!” You yell out at the hall.

He pokes his head inside and nods. He comes inside the room and Ayn looks towards the door, raising her eyebrows.

“He's...shorter.” She tells you. “At least...you didn't lie.”

“Hello there miss. I have come to present you with something I found inside the robes I had adorning me when I came here.” He tells her. “I injected it in myself and it did nothing, so I assume it's the cure to whatever poison I may have given you previously.”

“You sound...different.” She tells him. “Your eyes...they're blue too. Like...mine. Come to steal...my identity?”

“Princess, I would never-”

You grab the bottle from Loki, taking a syringe from the tray that was still sealed in a plastic casing. You break it open and put the syringe through the membrane on top of the bottle. The plunger automatically measures the liquid out and you pull it out, parting the fur on Ayn's body, looking for a vein. When you find one, you stick the syringe in and she hisses, feeling the liquid pump into her vein forcefully. When the syringe empties itself into her, you pull it back and set the bottle and needle on the tray table, sitting back in your seat.

“You're very beautiful, as my friend here has told me.” He says. “I hope this antidote makes you well so I may help make amends for my anger addled mind.”

You watch as Ayn's fingers begin twitching again, her arms moving around as she begins pulling IVs from her arms as well as electrical leads. When they're all disconnected, she scratches her nose and sighs contently.

“You have no idea how long my nose has itched.” She tells you. “Now, give me a reason why I shouldn't kill you right now.”

“Me?” You ask.

“Both of you.” She says, crossing her arms as she sits up in bed.

“Well, I gave you the antidote.” Loki tells her. “Would that other Loki do that?”

“Now you.” She says looking your way.

“I killed the old Loki.” You tell her. “The blood is still on my sword.”

You draw your sword and present it to Ayn, who looks at the tip to see drops of dried blood still on it. She puts her finger to it and puts her finger in her mouth, drawing a slightly disgusted 'eugh' from Loki.

“Ah, it is blood.” She says. “I guess you're both good for now.”

“Ayn, are you okay?” You ask. “You're not usually this upset.”

“Well, you did just bring my immortal enemy straight to my hospital bed to deliver an antidote and simultaneously stress me out even more than I was.” She tells you, getting out of the hospital bed. “I hope you never have to feel what I felt.”

Ayn hands you your sword back and you take it, sliding it in the scabbard on your back. She smiles your way and then looks over at Loki, giving him a scowl which you physically feel sadden him.

“You're explaining everything to me when we get back to Jacks room.” She tells him.

“Ah, so that's your name. I once knew a man named Jackson. He was a singer I believe.” Loki tells you.

“Great, that's great.” You tell him. “I know Michael Jackson too you know. Not the best guy to be compared to.”

The two of you walk out as Ayn stays behind, stripping out of her hospital gown as Loki begins looking back at her.

“If you turn any further she'll either kill you or fuck you to the point of wishing you were dead.” You tell him. “Just don't.”

“I've let my hubris get the best of me for the past 20 years. I won't let it get me any more.” He tells you. “We shall wait back at the room.”

30 minutes later

You're sitting in the room, waiting for Ayn to enter as you make small talk with Loki. He's sitting in the chair he soaked last night with his/her fluids. You made him clean it up with a rag, which he didn't appreciate at all. Not because he had to clean up his own mess, but because it was the rag you used when you wiped oil off your hands. However, that was all history. Right now you were trying to make nice with the trickster god.

“Then, Thor challenged the giant to a battle and the warrior made a mockery of him! Imagine that, one of the greatest warriors in Asgard beaten by a giant who just smacked him a couple of times!” Loki says with a hearty laugh. “Oh, and then there was the time I was 'haunting' these gnomes because they dared to say that I was only a simple minded fool. Gnomes, ugly creatures that inbreed like crazy. I wish we had video cameras back then, as I would've recorded the entire thing.”

Just as he says that, the door to your room opens, revealing Ayn dressed up in the same dress she wore to the meeting with Radoslav. She must really not like Loki.

“Ah, hello.” He says, raising himself off the chair.

“Sit before I make you.” She tells him, raising her staff in a defensive posture.

“Remember what I told you about staying still?” You ask. “Try and do that with her as well.”

“I shall do my best.” He says, sitting straight as a board.

Ayn lowers her staff, walking over to the side of the couch opposite to Loki. She sits on the couch and looks over at the lion, a deadpan look adorning her face.

“You said you'd apologize. You have a lot of that to be doing. So start.” She says, resting the staff on the floor.

“I can't remember much of what happened over the last 20 years, other than primal instincts being the driving forces for many of my deeds. I acted like an animal and I apologize for that. No offense.” He says, looking over at her. “I do not remember slaughtering the people of your planet-”

“You don't? Are we that insignificant to you that you can't even remember killing hundreds of thousands?” She asks, beginning to get upset. “How dare-”

“Ayn, can you let the man finish?” You ask. “He's trying his best and this isn't the same Loki from before. He remembers nothing.”

“He's a liar and a cheat. I trust nothing that comes from his mouth and the fact he can shape shift does not help matters.” She tells you, her usually casual language replaced with something far more proper and angry. “I am not being 'dramatic'. I am being as emotion free as I possibly can be when face to face with someone who killed thousands and could easily lie about it. He is not going to gain my trust any time soon, if ever.”

“This place looks similar to Asgard, surely you have a fool proof machine that will detect lies, right?” He asks. “Just hook up one of those and you will see I am in no way lying.”

“We do, but I don't know if even that will be enough to detect a lie from you.” She tells him.

“Ayn-”

“You have no right to call me by my first title. You will address me as princess Miyur.” She tells him.

“Well, princess, what more do you want from me? Do you want hard labor? I am pretty much immortal and could serve as a living forklift.” He tells her. “I could at the very least rebuild what I have destroyed.”

“No, I want you to go back to wherever you came from and never come back.” She tells him.

“Ayn, he's-”

“Shut up Jack.” She tells you.

You look over at her, confused by what she just said. She glances back at you with an unamused look and you feel a pang of anger inside you. She just told you to shut up? You, of all people?

“Okay.” You say, getting up off the couch.

“I didn't say leave.” She tells you.

“You're not my boss. You want me to be quiet, I'll leave.” You tell her, getting tired of her drama. “I'll be with ARA, like I usually am.”

You grab your Springfield, which had become a favorite of yours to carry around. It was simple, rugged, and reliable. When you walk down the hall, you begin to hear shouting behind you as you pick up the pace, going from a walk to a jog.

1 hour later

You finally managed to get in ARAs workplace after waiting in the lobby for them to confirm your ID and check with their superiors. It eventually made it past The Tower's administrator and into Fluff's lap, where he told everyone you were allowed in. People must really not want you near her. The doors open to the workplace she was in and you immediately see her under her console, grunting as she reconnects wires underneath.

“Don't you have technicians for that?” You ask.

“They're all out helping with the war effort. Apparently, I am considered low priority. The Apex ARA unit is considered a LOW PRIORITY! Fucking piece of shit, WORK!” She yells as she slams her fist into the console, startling you with her language.

“You okay?” You ask. “Do you need help?”

“I am perfectly capable of handling this by myself, thank you very much.” She replies. “I have managed all morning.”

“I'm proud of you.” You tell her.

“I heard we had an infiltration last night. My colleagues were discussing it and I overheard the conversation. Is this true?” She asks.

“Yeah. Loki came in dressed up like you and tried to stab me. Then he wanted me to fuck him.” You tell her.

“W-what?!” She asks, slamming her head up against the top of the console. “If I had pain receptors, that would have definitely hurt, but what?!”

“He said I needed a shower, even though I took one as soon as I got home.” You tell her. “I think his nose is just really sensitive.”

“So he asked you to have...intercourse with him?” She asks.

“Yeah.” You tell her.

“D-did you?” She asks.

“If only you knew how tempted I was.” You tell her. “I held myself back because that's just not right.”

“Even if they look just like me?” She asks.

“Especially if they look just like you. Wait! I don't mean it like that, I-”

“Please, calm yourself mister Jackson. I know you wish to protect me just as much as Rei does. There is no need for alarm.” She tells you. “Though, I do know how much you enjoyed writing about your characters and I, so I don't understand why you didn't when you knew it wasn't me.”

“Just didn't seem right.” You tell her. “Are you sure you don't need help?”

“Fine, I will accept your help. I can not seem to get the solder to stick.” She says as you slide under the console next to her.

“You're not using the right type of solder.” You tell her, pulling the correct type out of the tool...holder next to you. “Give me the soldering iron and I'll fix it. The line's not hot, is it?”

“No, it is completely shut down.” She replies. “As if I would work on a hot line.”

“Okay. Don't want to go through everything I've gone through and get killed by an electric shock.” You tell her. “Let's see what you broke.”

“I-I didn't break it! It was the other anthroid who used the terminal!” ARA tells you.

“Hey, it's not my equipment you're breaking. No need to cover it up.” You tell her.

“I'm not covering it up. The last ARA unit that used the terminal overloaded it due to a fault he experienced.” She tells you.

“He?” You ask. “I thought you Kaltag anthroids only came in female form.”

“While it's definitely the most popular choice, if a Kavkor or Commander have a preference towards a male model, Kaltag offers them as well.” She tells you. “I believe you have also managed to forget about TVK, or as she's known now, TDK.”

You finish soldering the wire and set it back into place alongside the other wires.

“Show me what else needs soldering.” You tell her.

“The super conductor right there.” She says, pointing to a green chip set that looks like it belonged at the bottom of a radioactive waste barrel.

“You got it.” You say, bringing the solder and the soldering iron up to the fried conductor chip set. “You know why it wasn't adhering to the surface ARA?”

“Enlighten me.” She replies.

“You were using wax.” You tell her, holding up the sealing wax she was using. “It's quick and easy electronic insulation that's relatively new to me, but you were using it as solder. Am I going to have to replace the entire motherboard?”

“No, these components were the only ones that required repair.” She replies as you slot the super conductor into the pin holes.

When you solder the super conductor in place, you look over at ARA and she closes the panel, pushing an oddly out of place red button.

“A button?” You ask. “I thought everything here was supposed to be high tech.”

“Sometimes it is just unnecessary to have a holographic interface.” She says, pushing herself out from under the console. “Oh, hello miss Vikna!”

You get out from under the console and stand up, setting the soldering equipment down on the top of the machine, looking down at Vikna. Her arms are crossed and a smile adorns her face.

“What were you two doing under there?” She asks.

“Fixing a broken gadget.” You tell her. “What's up?”

“They called you and I in for a meeting. Dress to impress.” She tells you.

“Yeah...” You tell her, trailing off.

She walks out of the room before turning back and giving you a sad smile. Why was she sad? Before you could ask, the door closes behind her and you look back at ARA. She shrugs, not being of any help. You sigh, walking to the doorway and exiting the relay center.

30 minutes later

You reach your room and you can definitely hear screaming coming from inside. Ayn was still having a shit fit. When the door opens, you see your couch upside down, table in the corner, weapons and ammo strewn about the room, your bag in Ayn's hand, and Loki standing in a corner, holding his hands up to protect himself from Ayn. You drop your rifle in shock, the clattering of the weapon on the floor grabbing Loki's attention.

“What the fuck is going on in here?” You ask, your voice slow and wavering on the edge of anger.

Ayn's ears go flat against her head as she turns around, your bag still in her hand as she realizes the gravity of the situation.

“I got a bit-”

“Get out.” You tell her.

“Jack, I-”

“If you don't get out right now, I'm going to start screaming. I can guarantee that my voice is louder and angrier than yours.” You tell her, your voice quivering as you just barely hold in the anger you felt for her trashing your room.

She takes the hint, setting your bag down gently as she makes her way out. You grab her shoulder before she can leave, grabbing her staff with a grunt and handing it to her. She raises an eyebrow at you before you let go, allowing her to leave with her staff.

“Thank you, I tried to calm her down but-”

“I didn't say you could stay. You're following her.” You tell him.

“W-what? She'll-”

“I don't give a single flying fuck if you two vaporize each other. Just do it away from me.” You tell him.

“Okay.” He tells you, looking down at the ground as he leaves the room, dejected.

You sigh, grabbing your rifle off the ground and setting it against the wall. You had a room to clean.

3 hours later

You make it to the meeting room in your dress blues, your saber on your left and your pistol in a leather holster on your right. When you enter, you see an officer sitting at the end of the table, already talking about strategy. You stand at attention awaiting orders.

“You're late.” He tells you. “What do you have to say for yourself?”

“I had to clean my room up, sir.” You tell him.

“Well you missed half the briefing, son. Just sit down and listen to the rest very carefully.” He tells you.

The old goat continues talking about terrorist cells on the other side of the continent, which is pretty much a jungle sanctuary that was built to please the eco freaks. He told everyone that a team would be dispatched to deal with the threat, that being 6 of your men along with you and an officer.

“The officer leading the group will be none other than Kavkor Ramenskaya herself.” He tells you with a smile. “I hear you two get along quite well.”

“What?” You ask. “Sir, if I may, can I request someone else to lead the group? Someone with more field experience? I'm not saying she'll slow us down, I'm just saying she doesn't know the ins and outs of-”

“Why are you questioning my decision, Staff Sergeant?” He asks.

“I just think there are better options than-”

“There are no other officers under my command who have any combat experience that are not already running counter insurgency operations.” He tells you. “Ramenskaya is the best officer we can provide you with.”

“Sir, please, I beg you to reconsider-”

“This is final, soldier. You and the Kavkor are dismissed.” He tells you, waving you off.

You look over at Vikna and she just continues looking down at the table, no other sign of being distraught present. You give her a gentle tap and she looks at you, confused.

“We're dismissed Kavkor.” You tell her, getting up from your seat.

You give the goat a salute while Vikna does the finger thing she calls a salute. The goat returns the finger salute and you turn around, rigidly walking out of the meeting room as Vikna walks much more casually. Once out of the room, she walks up to your side and looks up at you curiously.

“Why do you walk like that?” She asks.

“Like what?” You ask.

She then proceeds to replicate your walk and your sharp turns before going back to her usual casual walk.

“It's because this uniform in particular demands a certain attitude be present when I wear it. If I was to walk like you do around officers I'd probably be skinned alive back on Earth.” You tell her.

“Well, pretend I'm not an officer for now. It looks painful when you walk like that.” She says.

You take her advice, loosening your stride and walking at a less brisk pace. Vikna gives you that same sad smile she has given you three times now and you smile back, still tired from being woken up last night.

“What's bothering you?” You ask.

“What?” She asks in return.

“You look sad.” You tell her. “I know a sad smile when I see one.”

“I'm going back into combat for the first time since the civil conflict. Actual combat, not skirmishes like we've been in.” She tells you.

“Will you be able to effectively lead us?” You ask. “I heard about the Tau dampers and you seem to panic when you don't have your magic.”

“I'll be fine!” She yells. “I-I know what I'm doing.”

“Okay, no need to yell.” You tell her, calling the elevator with a push of the holographic panel.

2 hours later

You stop by the quarters your Marines are inhabiting, having turned an auxiliary kitchen into a barracks for themselves. Somehow they all managed to make it look like an average Vietnam era barracks without having any of the things inside it before coming here. When they see you come in, they all greet you in their various ways.

“Senovo, Daniels, Lyle, Argus, Delmonico, Decker. Front and center.” You tell them.

Lyle groans, getting off his cot and walking over to join up with the rest of the group. When he makes it to the line, he stands at ease with the rest of the men.

“We've been voluntold to gear up for a mission in a jungle preserve. You boys are the best I have for the mission.” You tell them. “We'll be moving out at 0700 local time. So check your gear, load up on ammo and food, and get some sleep.”

“Yes sarn't.” They all tell you.

“Good, I'll be in my quarters if you need me.” You tell them.

2 days later

You watch as the shuttle blasts off, leaving all 7 of you in the middle of the jungle. Lyle and Senovo look a bit more stressed than usual, while Daniels looks right at home. Argus looks very confused by the sight, probably having never been in a jungle before.

“Watch for punji sticks.” Daniels tells him. “I know those old boots don't have steel soles, so step lightly.”

“Yeah, I got it.” Argus tells him, raising his rifle and looking around the jungle.

“G-guys, you see that over there?” Lyle asks, pointing at nothing.

“No, what's over there?” You ask.

“You don't see it?” He asks. “It's New York! We're home!”

You squint your eyes hard, looking over in his direction, but see absolutely nothing but jungle. You turn back towards him and the kid's looking around in wonder, mouth agape as he starts hallucinating.

“Lyle, snap out of it!” You tell him, shaking the boy. “There's nothing here but jungle!”

“You're wrong Sergeant, I see the buildings right behind you!” He tells you, looking behind you. “See, right there!”

He points to a tree over to the right and you shake your head.

“That's a tree Lyle.” You tell him. “You're pointing to a tree.”

When you look back down at him, you see a trickle coming from his nose. He's bleeding.

“S-Sergeant, it's so beautiful. I haven't been home since I-” He says before dropping to the floor.

“Son of a bitch!” You say, Vikna grabbing a tool from her vest and putting it up to his head. “What's wrong with him?!”

“He's having a Tau fueled hallucination.” She tells you. “I blocked his intake for now, but we need to get him out of here ASAP.”

“What?” You ask.

“Someone's making him see things.” She tells you. “I-Jack?”

She looks over at you and around the jungle wildly, backing into a tree as she follows something only she can see.

“Vikna, talk to me.” You tell her. “What's going on?”

“Dad?” She asks, looking at you.

“What?” You ask. “I'm not your dad.”

“Dad, don't say things like that!” She yells. “You leave for 6 years and then pretend we never knew each other?!”

She rushes over to you and pulls you into a hug, which you're not sure how to react to. Now she was under the influence of this person? You needed to get on the radio and call for immediate evac, before you succumb to the hallucinations too.

“Det, when did you get here?” She asks in a...very friendly voice.

You pull up your radio and click it on, connecting to the Katrician network.

“Lokar Actual, Lokar 1-2, we have mind altering magic users in the AO. We need immediate evac, we are not combat effective, I repeat, we are not combat effective.” You tell them. “We lost Lokar 1-3 and Lokar 1-1, how copy?”

“We copy Lokar 1-2. Turning your bird around. Just-”

Before they could finish, you hear an explosion off in the distance. You really hope it wasn't what you thought it was.

“Lokar 1-2 this is Lokar Actual, your bird just got shot down. Try and last as long as you can, how copy?” They ask.

“Lokar 1-2 copies all. I need an ETA.” You tell them.

“ETA is 2 hours. Can you hold until then?” They ask.

“If we're not all veggies by then, yes we can.” You tell them.

“Copy Lokar 1-2. Lokar Actual, out.” They say, the radio cutting off.

Just as the radio cuts off, Vikna pulls your head down and plants her lips on yours, kissing you passionately. She moans into your mouth, trying to stick her tongue into it before you push her away.

“V-Vikna! Stop it right now!” You tell her.

“Detonayo, please, I never got to tell you this but-” She says before her speech stops abruptly.

You look behind her into the grass, seeing a clothes line on some wood chips. There were roses and daisies as well as some blueberry bushes. You look back down and see you're standing in front of a grill, flipping burgers and hot dogs. 2 anthro kids go running by you, laughing and giggling as you put the first of the burgers inside of a bun.

“What?” You ask. “Where am I?”

“You're home my friend.” Ayn tells you, standing behind the grill as she smiles warmly. “We won. Everything is okay now.”

“I was just in a jungle, how-”

“Daddy!” One of the anthros says, looking up at you. “Look what I drew!”

You look around, hoping to find the kids father, but you only find Nytro sitting in a nylon chair.

“For me?” You ask, looking down at the feline.

“Yes daddy! It's for you!” He says.

You take the drawing and see it's a drawing of 4 people. The 2 anthros, what you guessed was supposed to be you in a green and brown pair of pants, shirt, and helmet, and a blue cat with pink eyes.

“I think it's so sweet when they call you daddy.” Vikna tells you from behind.

You look back and see Vikna in a sun dress of some kind, smiling brightly at you.

“No...” You say, dropping the tongs on the ground.

“Oh, you dropped the tongs!” Vikna says, walking up to you and picking them up. “Franklin, can you go and grab some new tongs for daddy?”

The small brown feline rushes up to her, giving her a salute before taking the tongs.

“You can count on me mommy!” He says before laughing and running back to the house.

“I love it when they call me mommy. Makes me feel...whole.” She says sweetly, twirling her hair around her finger.

“N-no way. You'd never marry me. Not in a million years.” You say, backing up into the grill and burning yourself. “Ah, shit.”

“That's exactly what you said on our wedding day.” She says with a smile. “I don't think you've been happier in your entire life, outside of when we had Thomas and Franklin, of course.”

“But I was just-”

“Yeah, I know. You were just cooking and I had to barge in. Sorry honey.” She says sweetly.

“No, this isn't like you. Please, what's going on Vikna? I was just in the jungle. What happened?” You ask, starting to fear you may be stuck somewhere you can't get out of.

“You look like you fell asleep at the grill for a bit.” She explains. “Don't worry, Franklin and Thomas woke you up.”

“No, this isn't real, none of this is real.” You tell her. “I'm hallucinating all of this!”

“Shit...guys, get inside. He's having another PTSD attack.” Vikna says, waving everyone away.

She walks up to you and puts a hand on your cheek, rubbing it gently as she begins to purr. You watch as Nytro and Ayn herd Thomas back into the house as he looks on curiously.

“I-I'm not having an attack! I don't even have a working grill!” You tell her. “I don't remember us having kids!”

“Calm down sweetheart.” She tells you, rubbing your chin with the top of her muzzle. “It's okay, I'm here for you.”

“N-no, please. Whoever's doing this, just stop it!” You tell them. “I don't believe any of this!”

“Shh.” Vikna tells you, putting a finger over your mouth as she pulls herself closer to you. “Just calm down. It'll all be back to normal soon.”

“P-please, stop it.” You tell her, feeling a tear run down your cheek. “Y-you know I can't-”

“It's okay, I'm here for you.” She tells you. “Just like you were there for me.”

You feel yourself begin to sob, wishing that all of this was actually real.

“I-I want this to be real.” You tell her. “I want all of this to be real. I really want all of this to be real. S-stop these mind games, p-please.”

“Jack?” You hear come from behind Vikna. “Is that you?”

You look behind her through blurry eyes and clear them, seeing your dad walking towards you. Vikna turns around and looks back at you confused.

“Who's that?” She asks.

“Son, what's going on?” He asks. “Am I dreaming?”

Wait a second...Vikna met your dad! This isn't real after all. You gotta think of something, stall, keep her away, do anything.

“D-dad?” You ask. “Are you really there?”

“I don't know, that's why I'm asking.” He tells you.

“No...” Vikna tells you. “You're not supposed to be here.”

You look down at your hip and see nothing, so you're going to have to improvise. You see the grate you had on the grill, grabbing it with an oven mitt before Vikna turns back towards you.

“Honey, what are you doing with that?” She asks, backing away from you.

“GET OUT OF MY HEAD!” You scream.

“NO!” She screams in fright.

You slam the hot grate against her face and hear flesh sear and fur crackle. “Vikna” screams in pain as she drops to the grass, your dad standing in shock. You feel something drop at your feet and you see it's the M16. When you look back up, you see you're back in the jungle, men dressed in guerrilla uniforms closing in on your position with daggers in hand. One sees you and you draw your pistol, leveling it with him. When you pull back the hammer, two more look in your direction.

“HE'S AWAKE!” He screams, pointing at you.

You pull the trigger and a bullet explodes out of the barrel, slamming into the coyote with tremendous force. He yelps in pain, falling to the floor as everyone's attention is drawn to you. You look to the left and see Daniels is out for the count, breathing in sharply every now and again, but otherwise looking completely dead. You rip his M60 from his hands, leveling it with the advancing horde of assassins. Then, you pull the trigger.

RATATATATATATAT

The sound is deafening as you begin ripping apart the would be assassins with 7.62 NATO. However, the attackers refuse to relent, continuing to run head long into the gunfire like a bunch of lemmings jumping off a cliff. The last coyote drops, hitting the floor as you sit back against the tree you were sitting against. Argus is reaching out for you weakly, but his arm drops to his side as he falls to the ground.

You look behind you and see Vikna sitting against a tree, her pants and panties pulled down to her knees. She wasn't touching herself, but she was definitely biting her lower lip. Her breathing was sharp and a faint squeak could be heard on every exhale. You use the M60 as a crutch, propping yourself up before turning back towards Vikna. You see a coyote standing over her with a knife, looking up at you as you look back at him. He gives you an “oh shit, I've been caught please spare me” look and you just shake your head. You raise the gun up and his ears fold back, a short whine being heard before you pull the trigger. The machine gun rattles off 5 rounds before you let go, setting the gun back down and leaning on the tree.

When you look around again, it's a cloudy day and you're standing back in front of the grill. The flames have since died off, leaving ash at the bottom of the grill. You look back and see your dad struggling against “Nytro” as your dad tries to get himself free of Nytros grasp. You look back at your feet and see the M16 is still there, along with a bayonet. You grab it off the ground and affix the bayonet, getting the rifle into position for a bayonet charge.

You let out a battle cry and rush Nytro, seeing him let go of your dad. He tries to draw his sword, but you're on top of him before he can do anything. You thrust the rifle and bayonet forward, running him down. You bear down on him and bring the rifle back again.

“FUCKING DIE!” You scream, stabbing into his chest twice.

You bring the bayonet down on his gut and twist, slicing his stomach open as he looks down in shock.

“DIE YOU COCK SUCKER!” You scream, your voice cracking as you do.

You look back towards the house and see “Ayn” walking towards you with her staff in a defensive position. You grit your teeth and take aim, firing 3 shots into her chest, felling her immediately. You turn back and see your dad is stunned by your display of violence. You raise your rifle to him and he throws his arms up.

“Son, I don't know what the hell is going on, but you better put my rifle down or I'll take it from you by force.” He tells you.

You lower the rifle and sigh, looking back at him before speaking.

“Dad, if you're really here, I'm in combat right now. Something is fucking with my mind and I'm being pulled in and out of consciousness. Hide in the garage, I have an M2 in there that has ammo and a round in the chamber. All you gotta do is point and shoot.” You tell him.

“What the hell is going on?” He asks, looking around.

“Magic.” You tell him. “I don't fucking know.”

You wake back up, still leaning against the tree as you look below you. Vikna looks up at you and moans, putting her hand on your crotch. She arches her back and cries out in pleasure, convulsing a few times as she keeps her fingers right where they are. When she looks back up at you, she begins trying to unzip your pants.

“Detonayo, please, do me one more time. I-I know I was cold in the past, but I really love you and everything about you.” She tells you. “Please, I n-need you to knot me!”

You pull your head back in disgust. What the fuck was this person doing to her? You raise a hand and slap her hard across the cheek, a muffled smack being heard as she falls to the ground, shaking her head.

“Detonayo?!” She asks, looking around. “Where are you?! Where am I?!”

“Welcome back.” You tell her, offering her a hand.

She looks up at you and down at herself, her face going completely red.

“D-DON'T LOOK!” She screams, pulling her panties up.

“Hey, you're the one who was trying to unzip my pants.” You tell her.

“No I wasn't!” She yells, looking at your half unzipped fly. “I was unzipping Detonayo's pants!”

“Sure.” You say, watching as she gets up and pulls her flak pants up. “Who's Detonayo anyway?”

“My boyfriend from high school.” She tells you. “I loved him so much, but I went off to the military academy and only saw him once about 3 years ago. I never even got to say I loved him.”

“Oh...” You say. “Was he a canine?”

“Y-yes. How'd you know?” She asks.

“You told me you wanted me to knot you.” You tell her.

Her face goes red again, looking down at the ground in embarrassment. You sigh, not wanting her to suffer alone.

“I had a dream too.” You tell her. “It was about a family.”

“A family?” She asks, looking back up as the color begins to leave her face.

“Yeah, you were, well, my wife.” You tell her, fighting back tears as you sit back down near the tree.

“W-what?!” She asks in disbelief.

“There were kids, 2 boys. One of them even drew me a picture. I was cooking burgers over a grill while they ran around the yard, playing some sort of game. Ayn and Nytro were there, and so was Zofie and ARA. I knew they were around somewhere.” You say, failing to keep the tears from flowing. “I kept telling you it wasn't real. I-I knew you'd never fall for me a-and Fluff said you never w-wanted kids. I-”

“Hey!” She yells. “We don't have time for this right now. We can talk about it la-”

Before she can finish, she's grabbed by a feline and used as an organic shield. He puts a crudely made bone knife to her throat and you raise the M60, pointing it at the cat.

“Put the gun down and she lives.” He tells you, smiling as he hovers the knife over her throat.

You see Lyle slowly rise from behind the tree and see what's going on, the feline oblivious to what's happening.

“I don't think I can do that. Your insurgent buddies are just gonna kill me when I do.” You tell him.

Lyle draws his KABAR, sneaking behind the smirking feline as Vikna struggles to get away.

“Ah-ah, you keep moving and I'll slice your throat open.” The feline says with a purr.

“You're a creep, you know that?” She asks.

“I'll show you just how much of a creep I can be when we get back to the base~.” He tells her.

Just then, Lyle grabs the feline's knife arm, ripping it away from Vikna in a feat of strength you've never seen from him before. He turns the feline around and stabs him in the gut, the guy going into shock as Lyle twists the KABAR, slicing across his stomach and spilling his guts. The feline squeaks in pain, falling to the ground as he tries to hold his guts in. However, Lyle wasn't finished. He slams the KABAR through the feline's skull and pierces it like he was stabbing into Styrofoam. Vikna backs away towards you, watching the display of violence unfold. Lyle is screaming his lungs out by now, continuing to slash away at the poor feline as his nose begins to bleed again.

“Lyle...” You say, putting yourself between Vikna and him.

He keeps screaming and stabbing, the poor guy already having died.

“Lyle!” You yell.

“DIE YOU FUCKING GOOK! I WON'T LET YOU KILL ME! FUCKING DIE!” He screams as he continues to stab the corpse.

“Lyle that's enough!” You shout.

He doesn't stop and you rush him, tackling the mad man to the ground and restraining his arms and legs with your own.

“SAMUEL LYLE THAT IS ENOUGH!” You scream back, gripping his wrists tight until he drops the knife. “He's fucking dead already!”

“Fuck that bastard! He tried to kill Argus!” Lyle yells. “He tried to kill all of us!”

You get him up off the ground and hold him there, feeling him shake with anger as he grips his hands together. You let him go and he picks his knife up off the ground, flicking it off before wiping it on the dead body. The eviscerated corpse of the space furry terrorist lay on the ground like some fucked up guro drawing. You give Lyle a wide berth as he makes his way back to the tree by Argus. As you were about to follow his example, you hear the distinct sound of plasma based jet propulsion in the distance, getting louder with each passing second.

“Anyone who can move help the ones who can't!” You yell. “I want everyone out of this fucking jungle ALIVE!”

Just as you say that, you hear an explosion erupt from the side of you, kicking up dirt and fallen foliage.

“SNIPER!” You scream, pushing Vikna into cover behind the tree.

You feel your leg drop out from under you, grunting as you hit the floor. Then the pain comes. You scream as if your life depended on it, dropping the M60 as you try to look at your leg. That's when you see it's no longer there.

“CORPSMAN!” You scream, voice cracking as you did. “WHERE'S THE DOC?!”

You see a flashing laser out in the distance and try to back away, knowing that it's never a good thing to see a flashing laser.

“Jack!” Vikna screams.

She throws her arms up in the air and a massive wall of ice forms, a huge cloud of steam being formed as chunks of ice blow back into your face and on your stump.

“FUUUUUCK!” You scream in agony. “I NEED A CORPSMAN!”

You hear the thunder of guns above you, seeing a shuttle begin combing the area with fire as you lay your head back down on the ground. Everything felt like a blur now as your strength begins to leave your body, a small puddle of blood beginning to form by your leg.

“The Sergeant's hit!” One of your men says as sound begins to fade. “Holy shit he's lost a lot of blood!”

You feel a numbing sensation on your leg and bring your head up weakly, seeing a piece of ice adorning it. Vikna has your leg in one arm and is creating a barrier of ice with another. You feel yourself get picked up off the ground and continue to watch Vikna freeze your detached leg. Great, now you were going to be a cripple. Just before you pass out, you hear sobbing to your left and a pin prick on your right arm.


	9. Chapter 8: FUBAR

You're in and out of consciousness, hearing rumbling and coughing as you try to move your head around. You try and hold onto that consciousness, getting further every time you do. When you were finally able to keep yourself awake, you look around the shuttle weakly, seeing Vikna holding your left hand with both of hers. You squeeze it weakly, surprising her. She looks back up at you and you smile.

“You're...alright...right?” You struggle to ask.

“H-how are you conscious?!” She asks in return. “Y-you've lost more than half your blood!”

“I'm just...that...fucking good.” You tell her weakly. “Gary...Stu...powers. So...are...you okay?”

“Yes, I'm fine thanks to you.” She says with a smile.

“Good.” You say, laying your head back. “Where's...Lyle?”

“Uh, Lyle?” Vikna asks.

“Yes ma'am?” He asks in return.

“Ja-er, the Staff Sergeant wants to speak with you.” She says.

“He's awake?!” Lyle asks.

“Yes, he is. I don't know for how long.” She says. “Come over here.”

You hear him rush over to your stretcher, stopping to your right.

“You wanted to see me?” He asks.

“Thanks...for saving...the...Kav-...Vikna. Thanks for...saving Vikna.” You tell him, correcting yourself. “She means...more to...me...than...most.”

You lay your head back, feeling sleep begin to win again as it pulls you back into its icy clutches.

3 hours later

Vikna

You see Jack get pulled out of the shuttle, his leg being carried by a tiger anthro as he watches you from his stretcher. He's moved onto a hover gurney, being ferried off with the tiger in pursuit. Zofie and Nytro were both waiting there, along with Ayn and some unknown dog.

“What happened?” Nytro asks.

You feel a tear stain the fur under your eye, wiping the liquid away from your eyelids as you look over at him.

“H-he saved me.” You tell him, struggling to keep yourself composed. “A Gauss sniper was waiting in ambush for the assassins to be killed, a-and he pushed me into cover when they missed. He took a shot to the leg and-”

“You don't have to say anymore Habibi'ti.” Ayn tells you. “It's fine. He'll be fine.”

1 hour later

You're sitting down in the hospital room with Ayn, watching him while the doctors worked to prep his leg for reattachment. Nytro and the dog had come and gone, ARA having brought him a holographic flower pot she “reacquired” from her work area. You see Zofie enter, bringing in an actual flower with a vase. She sets it next to ARAs flower pot and pulls up a seat near both of you.

“What happened?” Ayn asks. “Before he got his leg shot off.”

“I...it's really embarrassing.” You tell her.

“Sweetie, I'm not going to tease you about it. This is traumatic for all of us and I know when jokes are in bad taste.” She tells you, assuring you she won't start teasing. “Please, I need to know what happened.”

“W-well, there was a mental manipulator in the jungle. We didn't even get 30 feet into the jungle before everyone started hallucinating. I think I was the second, but I don't know who was next. I saw my dad and Detonayo. You know, the guy I used to talk about?” You ask.

“He was cute.” Ayn tells you. “Please, keep going.”

“Well, he and I started, well, you know...” You say, putting your finger through a hole made by your finger and thumb. “God I feel so embarrassed!”

“Hey, it's okay. Just keep talking.” She tells you.

“W-well, he left for a while and I started talking with my dad. There was gunfire all around, and he was fighting a battle during the civil conflict. Then it all went white, Det showing back up and standing in front of me. I tried unzipping his pants and he slapped me really hard.” You continue. “I looked back to where Det was standing and found Jack standing over me with that really big gun of his friend's. He told me I started unzipping his pants and, well, he saw me naked too. Well, not naked, just half naked.”

“I see.” Ayn says. “What about Jack?”

You feel your cheeks heat up as you remember what he told you.

“He said we were all back at his house...he had 2 kids, 2 boys. He said him and I were...married.” You tell her, looking down at the floor. “He looked so sad when he said it too. Told me I'd never fall for him and that I didn't want kids. He tried to say more, but he was getting hysterical. I just wanted to hug him so bad, but we didn't have time for that. I told him we'd talk more about it later. Then I got captured, Lyle killed my captor violently, and Jack had to pull Lyle away from the body. I-I don't want to do ground operations anymore. I'm going to just deny it and take the court martial.”

“I understand completely.” Ayn tells you. “Just give me a call if you're in trouble. I'm sure the princess of Siania will be able to sway their opinions.”

“Well...what about Jack?” You ask.

“He'll be fine. They'll reattach his leg and he'll be fine.” She tells you with a smile. “Let's go get you cleaned up.”

“I'll be fine.” You tell her. “You go on ahead.”

She nods and leaves you both alone as you make your way back to his bed. When you stand by his side, you pull a seat up to his bed and sit by it, taking his hand in yours.

“Jack, I know you can't hear me, but I'm not brave enough to say it to you yet. When you told me all those things in the forest and thought I'd never go for a guy like you, you were so wrong. I've liked you from the moment you helped me realize I wasn't just some sexual object. You think that blowjob didn't mean anything? Fat chance.” You say with a chuckle. “I...I'm sorry for saying all those nasty things to you, even if you think you deserved it. What I'm trying to say is...I love you Jack. If I can finally work up the courage to get past my insecurities and tell you face to face, I'll make it up to you somehow.”

You move your lips to his cheek and give him a kiss, rubbing your face against his before letting go of his hand. You needed to tell him eventually. You're running out of hope that anyone will ever be able to love you like he does.

1 month later

Jack

You wake up, looking around the hospital room as you take in the sights of your room. There's a floating heart rate monitor by your bed, which you poke and cause to float away. It maneuvers itself back to the side of the bed through unknown means as you watch in amazement. You look to the side of the bed and see a flower pot and a vase. The pot produced a holographic flower while the one in the vase looked very real. You look under the sheets and see your leg was back where it belonged. You try to move your toes and succeed, chuckling at your success.

“I wonder how expensive it was to do this.” You say to yourself.

When your eyes wander over to the tray table, you find a tablet pen sitting there, waiting to be opened. You take the tablet and press the top of it, the tablet projecting a hard light pad for you. The start up message pops up.

///WELCOME USER!\\\\\  
///COS 1.331\\\\\  
///IH KALTAG\\\\\

When the welcome messages are gone, you tap the screen and are immediately greeted with a message.

'Hey Jack, it's Vikna. I know you've been out for a while and all that, but we've got the terrorists on the back foot. We've cleared out all but two cities, which they've entrenched with heavy fortifications. Read all our messages before giving us a call. Oh, and I've met Loki, so don't worry about that. It went smoothly, don't let him say otherwise.

-Vikna'

You smile at that, scrolling down and seeing Ayn's message next.

'Hey sweetie, it's Ayn. I just wanted to let you know that we've been visiting you when we can. I've tried to come by every day to keep tabs on you, and we've even talked a couple times. However, the doctors said you wouldn't remember it, so I just put the audio files here. Don't worry, nobody has seen it but me.

AUDIO LOG 1:

“Hey Ayn?” You ask. “Do you think we'll ever win this war?”

“Oh, you're awake!” Ayn replies excitedly. “Doctor, he's awake!”

“It's only temporary. He won't remember it when he wakes up for real.” The doctor tells her.

“Oh, well, okay.” She says. “Well, I don't know. I think we have a very good chance, especially since you paved the way for our tacticians. We might be a few months away from a victory, but that number is shrinking drastically every day.”

“Okay, good.” You tell her, apparently passing out again.

END OF LOG

AUDIO LOG 2:

“Ayn, can I tell you something really quick?” You ask.

“O-oh, sure.” She says, surprised by you being awake.

“When you told me you thought I was different, what did you mean by that?” You ask.

“W-well, I saw you had potential to be my future husband, being kind hearted like I am and wanting to help the people at any cost. Even if it means risking your own life.” She tells you. “I still don't know if I'm ready for that kind of commitment though, since I wouldn't be able to do all the normal things I usually do any more.”

“Well, I don't know if I'd say yes either. I'm kind of skittish about that kind of thing ever since my last girlfriend was a thing.” You tell her. “Not to say you were anything like her, just saying I'm very cautious.”

END OF LOG

AUDIO LOG 3:

“-starts talking, just start recording as soon as he does, okay?” Ayn asks.

“Okay.” Nytro replies. “I'll do that.”

A long pause is heard as an almost inaudible sound of rustling bed sheets is heard.

“I'm up, I'm up.” You say, having been awoken from your slumber. “For how long I don't know.”

“You remember?” Ayn asks.

“A bit, yeah.” He says. “I can hear a bit of what you're saying too. It's like I'm half awake the entire time. You recording this?”

“Oh, yeah. I just started.” Nytro replies. “It's recording.”

“Shouldn't be an issue. It records about 45 seconds before you press record.” Ayn tells him.

“I was just having another dream where I was talking to my dad. I had to tell him I was okay and that I got my leg amputated by a rail gun-”

“Gauss rifle. Rail guns aren't Gauss rifles.” Nytro butts in.

“Yeah, whatever it's called. Had to tell him they sewed my leg up good enough to move. So that was a-”

DATA CORRUPTED, UNABLE TO PATCH

END OF LOG

AUDIO LOG 4:

You can hear Ayn humming Minstrel boy, at least, what she must remember from it.

“No, fuck you. I won't let you touch them.” You say out of the blue. “I'll kill you with this thumb.”

Ayn nearly bursts out laughing when she hears this, hitting the record button a bit later.

“No...don't take them from me.” You say in a much more frightened tone. “No, stop it. Stop it!”

Ayn has quit snickering by now. Doing what you can only assume is watch.

“No! Get away from them! Let go of me!” You shout, scared and angry.

“Jack?” Ayn asks.

“NO! Let go of me! LET ME GO!” You begin screaming, as sheets are being thrown audibly. “DON'T YOU TOUCH HER!”

“Jack!” Ayn yells, getting up. “Habibi, wake up!”

“YOU FUCKING ARABS! ALL YOU DO IS KILL AND MAIM! YOU HAVE THE AUDACITY TO CALL ME LOVE?” You continue to scream. “I'LL KILL ALL OF YOU WITH MY BARE HANDS!”

“Oh my god I made it worse.” She says. “Jack, it's me, Ayn! You're dreaming!”

“No...please.” You say, your voice sounding desperate. “Don't do that, please. I beg you. I beg you! Don't kill them! NO! NOOOO!”

The room goes silent for a bit, the only sound was the occasional struggle on the bed. Then, the faint sound of crying is heard from you as the tablet is picked up.

“He doesn't need to hear this.” She says somberly.

END OF LOG

AUDIO LOG 5:

“Yeah, I'm fine.” Ayn says, the recording starting. “Yes daddy. I love you too. Buh-bye.”

You hear the the tell tale sound of the phone hanging up before hearing Ayn sigh angrily.

“God, why do they always need to call me? They know I'll be okay. Katric is steam rolling the terrorists now. It's all over the news.” She says, annoyed that she has to keep contacting her parents.

“Let me ask you something.” You say, interrupting her little rant.

“Uh, sure. Ask away.” She says, pressing the record button.

“Do you think I'm meant for love?” You ask. “I figure I might as well ask that because I'm not going to remember it. Maybe it'll put me at ease.”

You hear Ayn get up from the chair she was sitting in, walking herself over to what you assume is your bed. She sets the tablet down and you can hear fabric sliding against fur.

“Sweetie, everyone is meant for love. There's someone out there for you somewhere, even if you don't realize it. Everyone has that special someone, and you're no different.” She says, her words full of feeling and charisma you've never heard in such large quantities. “I know a few girls who would be happy to marry you right away. I also know a few girls who already love you.”

“Really?” You ask. “Who?”

“Hmm, let's see. There's a few girls I met in the club that said they wanted to mate with you for life. They're a bit clingy though, so I don't know if you'd like them.” She says. “Then, there's the nurse girl who comes in here to change your sheets and wash you. She really likes you. Tells me you're always so polite and try to make her life easier when you can.”

“I do?” You ask.

“Mhm. She says she deals with difficult people all day, trying to stay as professional as she can while being not-so-subtly groped by patients.” She tells you.

“Oh! You mean Tilya? Yeah, I can see how she'd get that kind of, uh, attention.” You say.

“Yep, so she likes you a lot, just for treating her like a person and trying to help where you can. She told me you fixed one of the hospital beds.” Ayn says. “You keep saying girls are hard to understand, but most of us just want to be treated like people. Not sex toys.”

“I don't remember fixing a hospital bed, but it seems like something I might do.” You say. “I guess I did say that too. I've always been told girls are too complex to even attempt to understand. So I never tried.”

“Mmm, I understand. That's just a wives tale meant to keep men guessing. I know you don't like to be kept guessing. I've seen the consequences of it.” She says, her voice drifting off to somewhere that's obviously painful. “I knew I shouldn't have let you go alone.”

“Hey, that's not your fault Ayn. None of that was your fault in any way. Don't you dare beat yourself up over it. I'll never forgive you if you do.” You tell her. “Promise?”

“I promise.” She says with a giggle. “As for you.”

“Me?” You ask.

“No, the you who's listening to this later. You will find someone. I've seen what you do with us. You orbit, whether or not it's because you lack confidence or because you don't see any of us that way, I don't know. I just know you're very lonely and love sick. I can see it in your eyes, you want one of us, or all of us, but something is keeping you back. Whatever it is, be it confidence issues, a conflict with Rei, or some other stupid reason, just go for it. I doubt we would reject you straight up.” She tells you. “You'll never catch any fish if you never cast a line. So, give it a try. We have plenty of free time on our hands now that the army is handling the counter insurgency.”

You smile at that. A friend of yours told you that once. A few years ago.

“Also, make sure to read our messages. We all wrote one. Even ARA.” She tells you. “Get well soon sweetie.”

END OF LOG

NO MORE AUDIO LOGS

-Ayn

Would you like to make a log?'

You tap “no” and continue downwards, seeing Nytros message is next.

'What's up man? Hope you get well or something. Ayn made me write this. Letters are stupid.

-Nytro'

“That was eventful.” You say sarcastically as you scroll down to the next message, which was from Zofie.

'Hello Jackson! It's Zofie! I hope this message gets to you quickly and you're feeling a bit better by then. We talked once and you told me you felt fine, but you completely forgot about it the next day, which was funny. I'll make you something to eat, since the hospital has been feeding you through an IV. You must be starving. Don't worry, it will still be within your diet! Get well soon.

-Zofie'

That's sweet. You continue to flick down and see Loki's message next. Wait, Loki? Oh yeah! You killed him and freed him from a spell or something.

'Hello my friend, if we're still considered that. If this messaging device is to be believed, I am typing on it as if it were a keyboard. As for happenings around this place, I got to meet a small girl who hated me more than Ayn did. I had no idea it was possible for someone to hate anyone so much.

The meeting went less than smoothly, much to the chagrin of the princess. I think the little one tried to kill me too! However, the princess separated us and allowed her to cool down so we may talk in peace. We are now acquainted and she is slowly warming up to the fact that I just want to repay my debts. I have been informed that she is not slowly warming up to me and that I am a 'stupid idiot who needs to be put inside a depressurized cargo bay and sent to space' except her language was much more colorful. Best wishes from a new friend,

-Loki'

“That's nice. Now for the last one.” You say, scrolling down to the final message.

'Hello, mister Jackson! It's ARA. I have been asked to write a sympathetic letter to you, so I will. I hope you get well soon so we can talk more. I genuinely enjoy talking with you and hope you do not die from complications during surgery. It would trouble me greatly if you were to fall ill or die due to an infection. We have much to discuss still! Get well soon.

-ARA 0-1-1'

“That's so sweet.” You say, smiling.

You scroll down and see a picture of you and all your friends, smiling with your American flag draped across you. Ayn and Vikna were smiling normally while Zofie made bunny ears in between the regular ears the two already had. ARA was doing a somewhat sedate smile while Nytro was just smirking at the camera. Loki had a toothy smile on his face, looking happier than you'd ever seen him before as Warning struggled to get into frame. You sat there with a half awake smile as you look at the camera, holding the flag up to your chin like a blanket. It was such a lighthearted photo that you had to smile even wider.

When you try to scroll down further, you see nothing more and close the tablet, setting it down beside you. Your mind wanders back to what Ayn told you about casting a line. Maybe-

“Mister Haigs, are you awake?” A voice calls in.

“Yeah, I'm awake. Hopefully for good this time.” You tell the woman. “You can come in, I'm decent.”

The woman obliges, coming in through the door dressed in a, well, white dress. It had a red cross on the left breast and had a blue line running down the middle of it. When you look back up at her, she smiles brightly, happy to see you.

“Are you Tilya?” You ask.

“The one and only!” She says excitedly.

You look her over one more time and can see why men would want to grope her. She had a great figure, even under the loose dress you could see she had a shapely body underneath. She was a dog anthro of some kind, looking like a golden retriever mixed with a coyote. She giggles as you continue to stare, snapping you out of your stupor.

“You do this every time I come in.” She says sweetly. “I think it's cute.”

“D-do I touch you too?” You ask, hoping the answer is no.

“No, in fact, I usually touch you.” She says gently. “I wash you, since you're not allowed to move your leg while the nanites repair your severed nerves, muscles, bones, and tissue. Speaking of which, don't get up and move around. You have an immobilization circuit in place for a reason.”

She brings up a chair that's hovering in place, hinting as to what you were going to do.

“O-oh, I can wash myself.” You tell her. “Really, it's fine.”

“You say that every time too.” She says sweetly. “Don't worry mister Haigs, I'll let you do the top while I do the bottom.”

“W-what?!” You ask.

“Oh, don't be such a perv. It's not like I'm going to jack you off. I just need to make sure you're clean so you don't attract every female in the ward. Your scent is extremely potent.” She tells you.

“Oh, right.” You tell her, sliding your legs over the bed to reveal your right leg doesn't want to respond.

“Do you want any-”

“No, I can do this.” You tell her, gripping the arm rests of the wheel chair that has no wheels.

You turn yourself around and your right leg falls uselessly to your side, leaving it all up to your left leg. You manage to flop yourself into the wheel-less chair with no grace at all, the chair bobbing up and down as you orient yourself properly.

“Wow, that's the first time you haven't fallen.” She says with a giggle. “I usually have to wait for you to crawl your way onto the chair.”

“If only my dad could see this.” You tell her, as she floats you out of the hospital room.

A few minutes later and you're in a room with a metallic bath tub that was gun metal grey. She presses a key on the holographic interface next to the bath and you feel yourself lifting off the chair via levitation. Your clothes begin to undo themselves, revealing your body to the world as you cover yourself up.

“It's okay, I've seen it already.” She tells you.

You sigh, letting your hands off your dick as you're lowered into water that was the perfect temperature for you. Tilya grabs a surprisingly low tech wash cloth, sticking the cloth in the water and handing it to you along with shampoo. You uncap the shampoo and squirt some onto the cloth, beginning to run the cloth over your body. Tilya begins scrubbing your legs with a brush, making you cringe as she makes her way up your leg.

When you finish washing off your torso, neck, and part of your back, you move onto your hair, scrubbing it with the shampoo before rinsing it off with water from the wash cloth. You then feel Tilya grab your cock, wrapping it in a cloth and beginning to scrub it down. You let in a sharp gasp as she looks up at you and sniggers. She takes the cloth off your penis and you feel it begin to throb uncontrollably. She looks down in amusement, watching it as it sits about 2 inches above the water line. However, she begins to look concerned after watching you for a few minutes.

“Huh, it usually goes down by now.” She says, looking over at you. “It's usually a bit bigger too...”

Her eyebrows raise as her eyes open up a bit more, indicating surprise.

“Are you in any pain right now?” She asks gently.

“Y-yes!” You tell her, feeling like your dick was about to tear itself apart from the amount of blood flowing to it. “My dick f-fu- hurts!”

You manage to control your language as you hunch over, covering yourself from view as embarrassment and pent up hormones begin to make themselves known in the form of a massive erection and full face blush. You hear Tilya get up, walking back over to the entrance before a hiss is heard. You look over to her and see she closed the door.

“Well, I guess it was only a matter of time.” She tells you, smiling sweetly as she begins to run her finger down the seam in her dress, separating it down the middle like it was glued together.

“W-what?” You ask, putting your hand over your cock and forcing it back underwater, as if you were trying to drown it.

“That you and I did it together.” She says, pressing a few buttons on the panel before the water begins draining from the bath tub. “I think you've earned a bit of relief.”

Before you could protest, you feel yourself being lifted out of the tub, the water seeming to separate from your skin as it all falls into the bath tub. Tilya lays a towel out on the floor as she takes off her shirt, smiling gently as she does.

“I know you don't remember, but you beat the crap out of a patient who tried to grope me after I told him no a couple of times. I never thought someone with a broken leg could get someone on the ground before that day.” She tells you. “I thought it was sweet of you. Nobody ever sticks up for me like that and I never got to thank you before you passed out.”

The nurse lays a few pillows under the towel, continuing to strip out of her leggings, which seemed to be a much more popular choice than pants for reasons only known to Fluff. Maybe it was his fetish? You feel yourself being laid out on the makeshift mat, legs laying down beyond it as Tilya puts a pillow under your head.

“Y-you don't have to do this. A simple thank you is more than enough.” You tell her, not knowing how to feel about this.

You didn't want to disappoint her with your terrible stamina, but you also wanted to ask her out later, which she might not want to do if you don't let her do her thing. She finishes taking off her stockings, revealing her remarkably soft fur and shapely ass to the world. Her boobs were no slouches either, being at least C cups, if you had to guess. Her entire body was covered in a coat of soft, flowing fur, which was a dark shade of golden brown. She takes off her panties and lets them slip down onto the floor, removing her bra next. When the bra frees her boobs, she lets out a sigh of relief as they drop down to their natural state.

None of this was helping your painful erection, which hurt even more with every pulse. Tilya notices this and kneels on top of you, dropping to her hands and knees as she backs herself up to eye level. She was probably a good 6 inches shorter than you, but you couldn't really tell until you were allowed to stand some time in the future. She pushes herself back a bit further until her snatch is hovering just above your cock, which feels like it's about to tear the skin apart.

“You can touch and grope me all you want. You've earned it~.” She tells you in her silky smooth voice, smiling as she pulls a few strands of her dirty blonde hair back.

You nod, raising your hand up to her droopy ears and scratching behind them, gently moving your hand back and forth as you scratch her with your fingers. She pushes herself into your hand, her tongue sticking out a bit as her feet start kicking involuntarily. Your other hand ran along her back, stroking her back fur down towards her butt as her tail began to wag furiously.

“Your fingers are so good~.” She says, lowering her chest onto yours.

Her soft, warm fur and even softer boob fur put your entire body at ease, making you feel relaxed as the pain in your dick lessened just a bit. In that moment, you could've been told anything and you wouldn't have cared. You were in a state of pure bliss and soft cuddles. You then feel her lower herself onto your cock and you let a moan escape, closing your mouth and gritting your teeth as you feel a slight chuckle come from Tilya.

“I guess you really are sensitive down there.” She says, hilting herself on you with a content sigh. “There's not a single inch left inside me for any more of your cock. We're made for each other.”

You nod as you continue to stroke her back, prompting her to sigh and pull her chest away from you.

“I know you want to touch them. Give them a squeeze, I won't bite.” She tells you, smiling a sultry smile as she sits balls deep on top of you.

You do as she requests, putting both your hands over her sizable tits. You squeeze them gently and they're just right. Not too firm, not too soft. This makes you even harder than you were, which you thought was impossible.

“I can tell you like them~.” She says, giggling sweetly as she begins to move herself back up.

You gasp at the sensation, her folds hugging every inch of your cock as she pulls herself back up again. You get a look down below and see your dick is a bit shorter than you remember it being. When she slides back down, every inch of your man meat is hugged and caressed by her velvety folds, making you spring up and wrap your arms around her. She chuckles quietly, wrapping her own arms around you as she begins to move a bit faster, moaning with pleasure as she does.

You feel yourself getting close already and poke her back to let her know.

“O-oh, so soon?” She asks. “T-that's fine. Cum inside if you want, I'm on the pills.”

You both fall back on the makeshift mat and you feel her squeeze again, moaning and gasping as she goes even faster.

“P-please hold out just a-ah a bit longer. I-I'm close too.” She says.

You try your best, but only last two more thrusts before you groan, letting your pent up seed coat the inside of her walls. More and more spurts coat the inside of her as she begins to shudder, pulling you tight against her as she experiences an orgasm of her own, you hope. Her cunt squeezes you tight, milking whatever you had left in you as your own orgasm winds down. You're beginning to go soft as she finishes her own orgasm, an after shock shaking her a bit as she squeezes your slowly shrinking member. You begin to pet her back fur gently as she licks your face a couple times, clearly content with the sex you both had.

“Not the best I've had, but certainly not the worst.” She tells you. “It was adequate. I assume you're new to this?”

“Sort of.” You tell her. “Are you free next week? I wanted to ask if you wanted to go out for dinner or something.”

“O-oh. Uh, yeah. What time do you think would be best?” She asks.

“Maybe 8 or 9 PM. I'll try and get crutches and a cast by then so I can move around. Will that work for you?” You ask in return.

“Yes, it works. Until then, let's get you back to your room.” She says.

“You don't want to go again?” You ask. “I can go again in about half an hour if you're not satisfied.”

“You can?” She asks. “Yes, that sounds like fun. I'll clean us up a bit and take you back to your room to continue our little session.”

The next day

You wake up, looking around the room and smiling. Tilyana Derkonovoia, or Tilya as everyone calls her, stayed after hours to continue what she called “doctor patient relations” despite her only being a nurse. Much to your dismay, you never lasted longer than a minute, but she didn't seem to mind. It was perfectly adequate time for her to finish on top of you. Hopefully she left satisfied and wasn't just saying what she did to stroke your ego. You look down and pull up the sheets, seeing your leg was in a cast. They did all this while you were asleep? You look off to your right and see a pair of crutches with a holographic note stuck to them.

'You must be a heavy sleeper. Didn't wake up the entire time we cast your leg. Your hospital room is your main bedroom. Do not go off and sleep in your own room! We need to monitor your sleep patterns, as this treatment works mainly at night. Try not to let your cast leg take your entire body weight. Safe travels! :^)  
-Kaltag Hospital Staff'

Well, that's weird. You were certain you'd have woken up if you felt them putting an entire cast on you. Well, guess you should call your friends over. Wait, no, you should surprise them. You grab the crutches, twisting yourself out of bed before activating your ear piece. It displays a home screen, which you use to navigate to the music section. You tell it to pick a random song from your library and it picks something you definitely didn't put in there. You click next and it begins playing something you recognized as music and not monkeys picking up a soundboard and beat boxing.

20 minutes later

You're hobbling through the halls on crutches, thoroughly out of breath from the effort. You turn off the music in your ear piece and reach the door to your room, seeing it's empty. However, it's definitely been used by more than one person, as there's trash and plates all over the place. You'd have to clean it later. You hobble over to Zofie's room, the door opening and revealing nothing. She definitely was still living in there, as her clothes and baking supplies sat strewn about the room. You keep going towards Ayn's room and see nobody inside. You regret looking in there, seeing not one, not two, not three, but seven boxes of condoms of varying size and retention methods. You walk away from the room and keep moving towards Nytro's place, which was in the middle of the very long hallway.

When you reach the middle of the hallway, you turn to Nytro's room and the door opens automatically. It reveals a large sword sitting in the corner along with a flak vest and helmet made to fit him, along with some flak pants and sturdy looking boots. Outside of that, the room looked relatively untouched. That means they're either somewhere else entirely or they're in Viknas quarters.

You groan and turn around, hobbling towards the elevator.

20 more minutes later

You're almost at the door to Viknas room, definitely hearing loud talking on the other side of the wall. Yep, they're here. You're about to head in when you hear Nytro say your name.

“Yeah, Jack is kind of a whiner. He bitches about a bunch of stupid stuff a lot.” Vikna adds to whatever was being said. “He always feels the need to talk about shooting people, like any of us want to hear it.”

You did?

“I know right? He sounds like a broken record. Never shuts up about killing people and his mood shifts constantly. I feel like I'm walking on egg shells when I talk to him.” Nytro continues. “Always dampens the mood when he talks to people, not to mention he's just really awkward.”

You were?

“Ja, he's kind of a nut too. Never seems like he's all there.” Zofie says, continuing to add to the shade they were throwing your way. “He doesn't even smile, settling on what I'd call a resting bitch face.”

“I mean, he has his moments Habibi'ti, but sometimes it can be a drain to be around him. His self esteem essentially doesn't exist, and he needs to constantly be reminded that he's not a monster. Sometimes within an hour of me saying he's not, he goes into another tangent. It's like he's fishing for attention.” Ayn says. “If I'm going to be perfectly honest, I'd have to say he's kind of a pain to be around, not to mention he's completely clueless to social cues. That makes it even more annoying to talk with him, because he doesn't know when to stop or keep going and nearly always guesses it wrong.”

“I too have noticed these issues from mister Jackson as well, though to a lesser degree than all of you seem to experience it. This may be a product of us being together for relatively short amounts of time compared to all of you, as well as my own inability to read emotions very well, but it does make small talk challenging.” ARA chimes in. “He seems incapable of talking about anything to do with himself without complaining or going into some sort of shock. It makes it very irritating to talk about anything other than me.”

“Oh, so that's how it is?” You ask quietly.

You turn back around and see Warning coming down the hall as you make your way back towards the elevator.

“Hel-”

You shush her and she cocks her head before continuing down the hall. You hear the door behind you open before Warning is greeted behind you. While you keep moving, you see Loki walking down the hallway towards the room everyone was in.

“Where are you going?” Loki asks.

“I'm not wanted back there. Pretend I was never here.” You tell him, continuing to hobble towards the elevator.

3 hours later

You've been staring at the ceiling for a while now, studying the circuit board pattern that made up all the tiles. There's nothing else that you could think of doing, and the thought of running into your friends is too much to bear. Is this why Ayn asked you to try and find a girl friend? So Tilya or whoever else would be able to take the responsibility of listening to you drone on?

“It all makes sense now.” You say, talking to yourself. “Why mom and Kelly left me. I started talking too much and they didn't want to listen anymore. Now these poor girls and guys are stuck with me and feel like they're forced to listen to me. Can't blame them for being upset. I'd be upset if I had to listen to someone bitch and moan all day.”

You look up and see nobody sitting in the room, which made you sigh in relief. It would've been terribly convenient if they were all sitting there watching you stare at the ceiling. You lay back down in the hospital bed, rolling over onto your side. You hear laughter coming from outside the door as voices get near the hospital room. Your door opens and you sit up, putting on a fake smile as Vikna enters the room first.

“Are you awake for good now?” She asks, looking up at you.

“Yeah, I am.” You tell her, the smile still adorning your face.

She nods turning around before her ears start swiveling around the room. She turns around and you smile again, causing her to give you a suspicious look.

“What's with the face?” She asks, pointing to her own face.

“Nothing.” You say simply, dropping the smile.

Note to self, forced smiles are bad for these situations.

“Okay...” She says uneasily.

Ayn soon follows, as well as ARA before the door shuts behind them.

“I see you're awake.” Ayn says with a smile.

“Yup.” You tell her simply.

You sit there for a bit, thinking of what to say next. You had to be very careful that you didn't stray into talking about the war or being sad. You needed to be positive. Think positive.

“Uh, Jack?” Ayn asks “Are you okay?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine.” You tell her. “Just thinking of what to say.”

Ayn cocks her head a bit, confused by what you're saying.

“What'd you think about our notes?” She asks, handing you a topic. “Did you like them?”

“Oh, yeah.” You tell her. “I did.”

You adjust the pillows so it's a bit more comfortable to sit up and look at them as you continue to think of what else you should say.

“What did you think of that last audio message I put in?” Ayn asks.

“You mean the one about casting a line? I did that.” You tell her.

“Whoa, wait, you already tried to land a girl?” Ayn asks. “Who?”

“Tilya.” You say.

You sit there and Ayn looks at you expectantly before rolling her eyes.

“Are you going to tell us what you did?” She asks.

“We had sex.” You tell her.

“What?!” Vikna asks, clenching her fists.

“On the first night?” Ayn asks as well. “Can you elaborate?”

“This is my cue to leave.” ARA says, getting up and walking out without saying another word. “Why did I even come?!”

Everyone chuckles except you, even though you wanted to chuckle. You don't know if it's right for you to do that.

“Well, she took me off to take a bath, which she said she's been doing for a while. I got an erection while she was washing me and said something about it being only a matter of time before we did it. So, we did it as hard as a, uh, guy with a-nevermind. We did it as well as we could before both finishing.” You tell her, almost asking for pity again. “I asked her out after that and we set a date for next week around 8 or 9. Then we kept having sex until she decided she needed to go home. She said she liked it before cleaning me off as well as herself.”

“So you're telling me you had sex with a nurse BEFORE asking her on a date?” Ayn asks. “Then you both continued going at it until she left work?”

“Yeah...the order got reversed a bit.” You tell her, having to think of a proper response before responding.

“You're kidding me.” Ayn says, stunned. “I just told you to cast a line, not jump in with a spear.”

“He's gotta be lying.” Vikna says.

“No, I smell it. It's faint, but there. Thought it was coming from down the hall.” Ayn tells her.

You nod and sit back in the bed, waiting for them to engage in conversation again.

“So, did you do anything else?” She asks awkwardly.

“I slept.” You reply. “That's all.”

“Alright, what's going on?” Ayn asks, annoyed by now. “Why are you acting so strange?”

“Acting strange?” You ask. “How am I acting strange?”

“You're talking really slow and just staring at us for what feels like forever. Why?” She asks.

You sit there for a while, still trying to think of what to say. How could you make it seem like you didn't hear their criticism of you?

“Would you answer the question?!” Vikna asks impatiently.

“I don't know how.” You tell them.

“How do you not know how to answer a simple question?” Ayn asks. “Are you hiding something from us?”

“Yes, I mean no!” You reply frantically. “Yes and no!”

“You don't need to hide anything from us sweetie. We're here for you.” She says, her words cutting you like a knife as she blatantly lies to your face.

You need to stay strong, there's a reason she's lying. She feels like she owes you something. That's it!

“Ayn, Vikna, all of you. You know you don't owe me anything, right?” You ask. “You don't need to come visit me if you really don't want to.”

“Sweetie, why would you think that?” She asks.

Then her ears fold before she can continue, having realized something. Fuck. She knows you know.

“Oh my god...” Is all Ayn says for the longest time. “How much?”

“All of it.” You say, doing your level best to hide how much pain you were in right now.

Ayn's face is slowly turning a shade of red as Vikna is already there by now.

“Jack, I'm so sorry!” Ayn says, putting her face in her hands.

“No, I'm sorry.” You tell her, having already shed tears of your own. “I'm sorry I make your lives a living hell. I just wanted all of you to be happy, but I'm too selfish and self absorbed. I feel terrible for making you all feel forced to spend time with me and even more so that you don't enjoy it.”

“You're not mad?” She asks.

“Oh, I'm mad.” You tell her. “I'm upset you didn't tell me I bothered you sooner.”

All of you sit there for a long time, just looking around the room for something to say.

“Why were you trying to hide it?” Ayn asks finally.

“So you wouldn't feel bad for me. Speaking of which, stop that. I don't need to be pitied like this.” You tell her. “Am I-

Before you could finish, the door to the room opens, revealing a Kirov in the doorway. Vikna gives him a salute and you slam a fist down on the tray table beside you.

“DO YOU MIND?!” You scream, the old wolf nearly jumping out of his skin.

“W-what? Who are you to insult me like this?” He asks, trying to regain the initiative.

“I'm the guy who's about to rip your head off if you don't leave or give me good news in the next 10 seconds.” You tell him. “So which is it?”

“B-but you're crippled.” He says, his old gravely voice unsure of how to assess the threat.

You throw the blankets off the bed, rotating yourself off to the right where your crutches were propped up. When you grab the crutches, you begin to aggressively hobble over to the man, who tries his hardest to hide his disbelief.

“If you don't get your head out of your ass and answer my question in the next 5 seconds, I'm going to rip you a new asshole.” You tell him.

“I-I-”

“1...” You begin counting. “2...3...”

“OKAY ALRIGHT!” He yells. “I came to tell you that there's a terrorist threat within the city. A resurgence in activity. They're elite units, so-”

“Get the fuck out of here.” You tell him. “I'm in no shape to fight a war right now and I certainly don't need you coming in here and ruining a moment. If they make it into The Tower, I'll give them a fucking round of applause. Now get the fuck out before I shove one of these so far up your ass, you'll be tasting floor wax!”

“Y-yes Staff Sergeant!” He says, backing out of the room.

You sigh, turning around and hobbling back to your bed. You were tired now. Sad, angry, and tired all at the same time.

“Both of you can leave if you want. I'm going to sleep for a while.” You tell them.

“If I get fired over that, I'm going to snuff you out in that bed of yours.” Vikna says before her eyes soften a bit.

Ayn rolls her eyes and leaves the room, Vikna softening up a bit before even smiling at you. She leaves the room as well, allowing you to go back to sleep again.

1 month later

You're sitting back in bed, reflecting back on what went wrong as a nurse removes your cast. Tilya had told you that she had a sister before showing you a picture of her. She was absolutely gorgeous, just like Tilya was. Turns out telling Tilya her sister was hot too didn't go over well, since she and her sister were very competitive with men. Tilya still liked you and said she wouldn't change the way she looked at you, but she said things wouldn't work out right now. You asked Ayn what she meant by that and she said it meant she was dumping you. The first thing you did after you heard that was drown yourself in alcohol for the first time in months.

You never told anyone what you did, since you wanted to keep up your facade of being perpetually happy with all of your friends. You don't know if they were buying the act or if they knew, but you needed to keep pretending for their sake. Most, if not all of the blockade has been dealt with by the special forces branches of the Katrician military, all of whom were on par with the US Rangers and almost as good as your Marines. This meant that Nytro and Zofie would be leaving for Serko and Ayn would be leaving for Siania today with Loki as well. You were happy for your friends, since they got to finally go home after enduring this stupid war. There was still a single city left to take, which Radoslav had taken a personal interest in, Kovsaitoska.

“Alright, we're cracking the cast open and removing the inhibitor chip.” The nurse tells you.

When the cast is opened, you feel the cool air run over your leg as you sigh contently. It sure was a change in pace from the permanently damp inside of a cast. The nurse gives you a smile and a walking stick, which, of course, had a blue accent line running down the length of it. You immediately slide yourself off the bed, using the cane to balance on while the nurse looks up at you with worry.

“N-no! You need to take it slow mister Haigs!” She yells, obviously afraid you might hurt yourself.

“I've been taking it slow for 2 months ma'am. There's no reason to take it slow any longer.” You tell her.

“W-well, if you insist. Just be careful and don't lift heavy things for a few weeks. You may damage your leg even further if you do.” She tells you. “This was already a ground breaking procedure we developed a little over a year ago, we don't know if it's possible to fix a leg that has been reattached.”

“Don't lift heavy boxes, got it.” You tell her. “What about a 110 pounds of gear? Would that be considered heavy?”

“You're pushing it to the limit with that much weight, but I guess it wouldn't hurt if you didn't carry anything else. Just try to use the cane when you can and you'll be fine.” She says, moving out of your way.

You begin walking towards the door, using the cane to assist your right leg as the door opens for someone on the other side.

“Well shit, look who's up and walking?” Nytro asks. “I thought it'd be another week before they'd let you up.”

“Nah, I bitched at them until they caved. I knew I was ready to get up and start bothering all of you.” You reply in a hopefully joking manner. “I heard you were all going back to Liertz today. Wanted to see all of you off.”

“I was thinking about that when spots suggested we take you along for the ride. You'll be there for 7 days and come back here to continue doing whatever it is you've been doing.” He tells you. “What have you been doing in here?”

“Making a 2d side scroller.” You tell him. “A video game.”

“Really?” He asks. “Is that why you've been talking to Red every day?”

“Yeah, she's the tutorial voice.” You tell him. “She's also the announcer.”

“She's been recording voice lines?” He asks. “That's cute. You can tell us about it on the way there.”

You nod, following him out the door.

2 hours later

You're sitting in a new pair of clothes that Nytro insisted you wear. He says that it's casual wear on Serko, which you found odd. It was casual wear on Siania too. You were also perplexed by the arrival time, which was about 20 hours. It was the same as the trip to Siania. Were they in the same system? Ayn and Loki were also on the same flight, which seemed to suggest they were.

“As you were saying?” Nytro asks, snapping you out of your train of thought.

“Oh, yeah. I only have one act complete, which is the second act. The objective is to save Ayn from some whack ass crystal prison. You've got a choice between 4 characters and 4 secret characters. A faceless nobody who's okay at everything, but highly upgradable. Then there's ARA, who's amazing at hacking, having max stats for it, as well as a good ultimate, and can take a beating before going down. Her health regenerates because of nanites or some shit, I don't know how she does it, but she says she can repair herself up to a certain point.” You explain.

“Isn't it kind of weird having the tutorial voice as a playable character?” He asks.

“It's kind of a joke in the game as well, ARA commenting on why she needs to tell herself how to do things she already knows how to do. Took a while to animate her attacks, mainly because she refused to give me examples.” You reply, still frustrated with that. “A sort of tail whip, considering her tail weighs about 50 pounds, a standard punch, which does very little damage because of her low base melee stats, and a lightning bolt. She's not designed for combat and it's reflected in the game.”

“Who else can you play?” He asks.

“Well, there's You.” You tell him. “Highest strike speed in the game due to your agility. Your melee is one of the highest base stats in the game, and your sprint is much faster than anyone elses. However, I had to balance you somehow, so your hacking is terrible. Your intelligence and lore levels are both average, compared to ARA having a terrible lore level and a slightly below average intelligence.”

“What's a hacking stat anyway?” He asks. “Also, you didn't ask before putting me in a game.”

“I asked you to come to my room a couple times last week and you were busy.” You explain. “Let me give you the rundown on stats. Strength is how hard you hit with your melee weapon and how big the weapon you can carry is. Agility, which you have just about maxed out, is how fast you can swing your weapon or shoot a single shot or semi auto gun. It also effects sprint speed and how fast your super charges up. Stamina is only really used for sprint and magic, since using stamina on a side scrolling game where the objective is to hit and shoot the horde of enemies in your way gets kind of tedious. It also is going to be used for a feature I may implement later. Don't know if I should though.”

“What is it?” He asks.

“It's a secret.” You tell him.

“That's stupid.” He tells you.

“Anyways, hacking is basically how good you are at bypassing security on doors, turrets, anthroids, and robots. You usually need a key card for main doors, and some doors that lead to secrets need a high hacking skill. Basically, ARA is really good at finding secrets and turning the enemy against themselves. You, not so much. You're more suited to beating down on guys with a flurry of attacks.” You continue explaining. “Intelligence unlocks dialogue options that wouldn't be available for someone who isn't as smart. You have most of the dialogue options unlocked, as well as Joe Schmo the faceless guy. Sometimes you can end a boss fight with high intelligence by just saying that what he's doing is stupid.”

“Sounds familiar.” Nytro says with a smirk.

“Yeah, anyways, lore is basically knowledge of the area around you. It's also dependent on the planet, so Serko has its own lore, Siania has its own lore, and Katric has-”

“Wait, did you say Siania has its own lore?” He asks, chuckling. “Siania is a country.”

“It is?” You ask.

“Yes, it's a country on Serko.” He says with grin.

“Fuck!” You yell, most of your years of writing having been a lie. “Maybe I can make it country specific then.”

“Guess you aren't as omnipotent as I thought.” He says, snickering.

“Hey man, you try keeping track of all that stuff without source material. Fluff was super vague with your lore when I first found it out.” You tell him, making excuses. “Anyways, the regions have specific lore attached to them, which is basically to tell the player what's going on and give them more bits of the story. That's only relevant in hardcore mode though, since normal and novel mode do away with that.”

“So, who else do you play as?” He asks, looking around the room you and him occupied.

“Vikna is the last main character. She'd kill me if she ever found out what her stats were. She's got the highest base magic skill in the game and is really the only one other than ARA who uses magic straight off. Her intelligence is above average and her lore for Katric is maxed out. However, her strength is the lowest in the game, and can't go higher than 3 more levels. Basically, she's a one trick pony, in that she's only good at using magic.” You tell him. “Her agility is average and her stamina is average, as is yours.”

“What about our moves? You forgot about those.” He says.

“Oh, you're right.” You tell him. “Your moves are all melee and CQC related. Fast slash, which does minimal damage but basically stun locks an enemy, heavy strike, which takes a longer time to, uh, strike, and a ranged move where you throw your sword at an enemy and impale them, attaching them to the ground. Wait, I think I have an idea for stamina in combat.”

“Really? What's that?” He asks.

“Your heavy strike could have a mode where it uses stamina to hit as fast as the fast slash, while your throwing move would use a lot of stamina, considering how powerful it is.” You tell him. “Anyways, Vikna only has one non-magic move, which is a straight up punch. It does exactly not enough damage and is sort of slow as well.”

“What about her magic moves?” He asks.

“This one was such a bitch to code, you have no idea.” You tell him. “Anyways, she has 5 moves and 10 unlockables, which I'll just show you later because it would take forever to explain right now. Her 5 base moves are ice spike, which is a spike of ice she throws at an enemy, ice wall, which is self explanatory, freeze, which freezes enemies and some objects in place, ice storm, which throws a storm miniature ice spikes at enemies, and spike shower, which rains 3 ice spikes down on the enemy.”

“Sounds like her. What about all our specials?” He asks.

“I thought you'd never ask.” You reply with a big grin on your face. “These were so fun to make, I had 3 ideas for all of you. I ended up settling on one for each of you. Yours is blade storm, original name, am I right? It's an attack that basically kills any enemy in a radius of you for 10 seconds, going at full speed the entire time. It uses no stamina and I found the best use for it is jumping into a group of enemies and letting them run into the attack.”

“Sounds kind of over powered.” He tells you. “I like it.”

“Well, it's your ultimate attack, so it's supposed to be super powerful.” You tell him. “As for ARA, her power up makes her invincible and gives her attacks much more damage for 20 seconds. Her fur electrifies and turns so rigid that nothing can touch her.”

“What about blue?” He asks.

“Her special ability is devastating. She can freeze half of the map with her special, but it takes time to charge up and she can be attacked while she charges.” You reply. “The enemies stay frozen for about 5 minutes, in which time she can punch the ice to kill them instantly. It uses up all of her stamina and even hurts her a bit when she uses it, not to mention it's the slowest charging ability out of all of you.”

“Sounds reasonable. Not that I know anything about designing a game, but having to work for something like that seems pretty balanced.” He tells you. “Now, what about those secret characters?”

You feel your cheeks burn a little at the mention. It's very embarrassing for you to talk about.

“I, well, uh...” You say, struggling to get the ball rolling. “These secret characters are, well, characters I've made up. Protagonists and main characters from my stories. Self inserts and the like.”

“Ah, so I assume they're very powerful.” He says with a smirk.

“O-only one.” You tell him, your entire face now engulfed in heat.

“Ah, I'm just screwing with you. Come on, out with it.” He says, prodding you with his index finger.

“Well, let's start off small with one of the easiest to get. All you have to do is complete the game on normal and you'll unlock Ayn. She has the highest strength stats in the game and has 3 moves. A light attack I haven't named, a heavy attack I haven't named, and a ranged attack where she throws her staff at people. Fairly standard stuff.” You tell him. “I haven't decided what her special should be, seduction or something else.”

“Sounds hot.” Nytro jokes. “Who's next?”

“Well, the next one you need ARA for. His name is J'et and he's sort of a cyborg.” You tell him.

“How'd he end up one of those?” Nytro asks.

“F-fuck.” You say, looking down at the floor. “Uh, you did it.”

“I did what?” He asks.

“You chopped off his legs and arm. In my story, I mean.” You say, your face getting even more hot.

“Why would I do that?” He asks, perplexed.

“J'et pissed you off and you tried to kill him. Never finished the story behind that and I forget the exact reasoning behind it.” You lie, having had no reason behind the decision except to give him robot parts. “He lost an eye and his kidneys too.”

“Metal.” He says. “Why's he need ARA to unlock?”

“This fucking sucks to explain. It makes me feel like such a goon.” You tell him. “Fine. If you find his lab in one of the caves, you'll be hard pressed to unlock him without her. You need completely maxed out intelligence to pry him away from his duty, except for ARA. He has a thing for her and that's all I'm gonna say about that. It'll be a theme for the rest of the secret characters.”

“What makes him special?” He asks.

“His intelligence is very high, only 2 points off from being maxed out. So he can pretty much out think the rest of the characters and villains. His strength is just above average on account of his robotic limbs. His lore is, abysmal, considering he's a transfer fresh out of college. His magic is non-existent, on account of me not giving a shit about that back when I wrote him. Agility is below average, as is his stamina.” You explain. “I tried to balance him as best I could on account of how he was portrayed in the story.”

“Interesting, who's the next one?” He asks.

“The Mary Sue.” You tell him. “Well, let's start off with how you find him. There's a door that's by the crashed that has been welded shut by the guy inside. If you break down the door with your character, you have to have maxed out intelligence and lore or he'll kill you. If you play as the random character, he'll just kill you outright. If you play as Ayn, you'll kill him and not have him added to the party.”

“Jesus why is he so violent?” Nytro asks before realizing. “Oh, this is your self insert.”

“Yeah.” You respond simply, not able to look at him anymore.

“Well, what about ARA and Vikna?” He asks.

“Oh, with ARA, he'll deliver a few lines of dialogue and just retreat back inside, no matter how high your stats are.” You tell him. “It's a part of the story I wrote. If you play as Vikna, he'll immediately join the party, but she has the weakest melee in the entire game, so it takes a while to bash down the door. J'et has to have maxed intelligence for him to convince the guy to join the roster, but it can be done.”

“So, why does Ayn just straight up murder the dude?” He asks. “What's the guy's name.”

“I'd rather not go into detail about what he did, as it's too cringy for me to explain. His name is John.” You tell him.

You both sit there for a while, not talking as you try to salvage your wrecked nerves.

“Well, are you going to tell me his stats?” He asks.

“Uh, sure. He actually has 3 different outfits, 1 of which boosts his stats, but he almost never spawns in it. His stats are above average strength and intelligence, but terrible lore due to his origin. He has great stamina but terrible agility and no magic to speak of. He also spawns with a loadout, which is unique to him. He has a shotgun, a revolver, and a couple rifles to choose from. I'll save the sperging out on weapons for later, but his weapons are all unique in some way.” You explain. “His special is a lightning bolt he shoots from his hand.”

“Sounds, uh, unique.” Nytro says, forcing a smile.

“I know it's bad, but I made him really hard to find and even harder to get. Hopefully nobody connects the dots.” You say.

“What about the last one?” Nytro asks.

“No, just no.” You tell him. “You can find him yourself.”

You bring up the tablet and hand it to Nytro and open the game, which has an unfinished vista adorning the title screen. Nytro presses play and is immediately greeted with a character selection screen, where he, of course, chooses himself.

“Did you animate these yourself?” He asks.

“I did.” You tell him “20 hours is a lot of time to play with, and I got 30 days of it. It's my first game, so be gentle.”

You learned early on that, even though you're a writer who's published a book, you're a bit of a bitch when it comes to taking criticism. Yeah, a writer who can't take criticism, imagine that. Your old therapist said it was because your self-esteem was too low, which was definitely true. Nytro sees ARA pop up on screen and looks perplexed by something.

“There's music.” He says. “Did you find this on the Network or what?”

“They have free music on the Network?” You ask, surprised by this revelation. “I just made all that music myself. Just as a place holder before I can get someone else to make better music.”

“You know how to make music?” He asks, genuinely confused by the fact that you did. “Here I was, thinking you were just a soldier. It sounds pretty good for a placeholder.”

When he says that, it gives you an unexpected boost of confidence. ARA begins speaking and telling him how to move his character around.

“To move left, press the left button. To move right, you press the up, er, right button. Uh, make sure to cut that from the final game.” ARA says, having messed up her line. “To attack, press one of the 4 attack buttons. If you're playing as miss Vikna or me, hold the 4th attack button to activate a magic wheel. You can choose which magic power you'd like to bind to the 4th button.”

“What about these little avatars? Did you draw them?” He asks, pointing to the speech blurb.

“No, Fluff did. He said he didn't want me to draw you guys until I got better at drawing.” You tell him. “However, I made the sprites! Your little guy there was drawn and animated by me.”

“Huh, cool.” He says. “Let's keep going...”

6 hours later

You watch as Nytro finally beats the end boss for whom you have no name for.

“Well, you want the good or the bad first?” He asks, looking over at you.

“I'll take the good first.” You tell him.

“It plays fantastically, I didn't feel like it was too hard or too easy the entire time. I thought the music was good, especially for a place holder, and the, uh, 'sprites', as you put them, are pretty well animated. The story is simplistic, but sometimes complex stories aren't the best route, especially with this kind of game.” He tells you. “This leads me into a couple of gripes about the game.”

Oh boy, here we go.

“First off, you didn't ask us permission to use our likeness, which is kind of rude. Secondly, the game needs just a bit more story per level, since I only got bits and pieces of it. Thirdly, the backgrounds are a bit bland. Add some more trees, this is Siania we're talking about. There's Tulofo trees everywhere with huge leaves and massive fruits hanging from the top, as well as some flowers and carnivorous plants.” He says. “Fourth and foremost, make the controls easier to use. I would definitely feel more at home with a controller in my hand than tapping in the screen like I'm playing a mobile game.”

You just sit there for a bit, the sting of being criticized still ringing in your ears. It hurts to have someone criticize something you put your heart and soul into, but it's necessary to better the game.

“Alright, first off, sorry about that. I got too ahead of myself and forgot to ask you and Vikna for permission. Secondly, I need to make the story points more obvious. They're there, but you missed a lot of them because I didn't make them stick out. Thirdly, I'll work on the vegetation and background, and fourthly, there's no excuse for terrible controls. I'll work on it all immediately.” You tell him, still feeling the sting of being criticized.

“Wait, you said Vikna and I, do you mean Ayn knew?” He asks.

“Mhm.” Ayn replies, startling both of you. “He told me when we last talked and I thought it was sweet. Not much of a video game player though, so I didn't really feel like playing it. However, I think I know something that I would like to play with~.”

“And, that's my cue to go. Not getting caught up in this.” You say, grabbing the tablet from Nytro. “Thanks for the feedback, gotta run, places to be, things to explore, that kind of thing. Have fun you two.”

You grab the large dufflebag as Ayn struts her way over to Nytro, who's already working his charm on her. The last thing you hear before you exit the room is a low “mmf” and the sound of fur rubbing against fabric as you exit the room, walking down the hallway towards Zofie's room. As you're walking, you see a security guard wielding a weapon of which puts you on immediate alert. You're about 10 feet away from the guard and see he's indeed holding an AKM.

“Halt!” You tell him, putting an arm out in front of him.

You quickly disarm the man, racking the magazine out of his weapon and pulling the bolt back, unloading the chamber. He quickly puts his hands up, realizing he's been caught.

“Where'd you get this?!” You ask, holding the rifle up to his face. “WHERE?!”

“I-I was issued it and-”

“Cut the bullshit!” You shout. “You got this from a human, didn't you?!”

“N-no, I was just given it by my superiors!” He yells, frightened by now.

“Who do you work for?! Where are you stationed?!” You ask, beginning to actually get upset by him playing stupid. “Why are you here?!”

“I-I-I-”

“QUIT BLUBBERING AND ANSWER ME YOU FUCKING FUZZ BALL!” You scream, enraged that he's feigning innocence.

“I-I was t-trying to find the rest of my brothers, s-so we could hijack this star liner. P-please, I won't do anything if you just let me go!” He pleads.

“Like hell I'm gonna let you go! You're coming with me Achmed!” You yell, pulling him along as you make it back to Nytros room.

When you make it back, you slam your fist against the door, a yelp coming from the other side.

“Quit fucking and get dressed!” You yell. “Now!”

A few moments later, you see Ayn at the door, her dress haphazardly put on as Nytro puts on a pair of pants in the background.

“J-Jack! That's a security guard!” She yells angrily.

“Bullshit. He was carrying around THIS!” You yell, showing her the AK. “This is an AKM, from EARTH! He's a fucking terrorist and there's more onboard!”

Just as you say that, the familiar sound of AK fire erupts down the hall from you, followed by screaming and panicked yelling.

“THIS SHIP IS NOW UNDER SEPARATIONIST CONTROL!” A distinctly Arab voice shouts down the hallway. “EVERYONE ON THE GROUND OR YOU WILL BE SHOT!”

You throw the man into Nytros room, jumping into action. You grab the AK magazine off the floor and rack it in, chambering a round before reaching your dufflebag again. When you reach down, you unzip the bag and grab the old 1903 inside, slinging it over your shoulder as you move down the hallway.

“As the great poet Ice T once said, if the day does not require an AK, it is good.” You say, repeating the lines from an infamous movie about Marines in Iraq. “Today is not a good day.”

You come around the corner and see a man dressed in white cloth, looking around the room with his AK before he spots you, trying to raise his own. You put the sights on target and pull the trigger.

RATATAT

You pump a shot into the man and 2 into the ceiling, not expecting the weapon to be on automatic. You look to your right and duck behind the wall just in time to avoid being lit up by a second AK wielding anthro.

“Come out dirty American! I have surprise from my benefactors for you!” The man taunts.

Women are crying along with children, as the men try and protect all of them as best they can. AK fire comes from the lobby and more screams are heard, making you grit your teeth.

“No more people have to die, just come out with your hands above your head and we will-”

You rush around the corner and see the man has his guard down, the monologue proving stupid and useless once again. You feel something slam into the back of you and you begin falling, going through the floor and continuing to fall.

“Jesus!” You yell, sitting up in the bunk.

“Hey, you okay?” Nytro asks. “You kind of blacked out there.”

“Yeah, I'm fine.” You tell him. “Thanks for the criticism, I'll be back!”

You rush over to your dufflebag and open it up, grabbing the bandoleer and rifle from inside.

“Whoa! Where are you going with that?!” He asks, concerned.

“Quiet!” You hiss, opening the door.

When you turn the corner out the door, you see a guard holding a rifle that definitely was not an AKM. He sees you peaking out the door and cocks his head curiously. You wave meekly at him and slide back inside. You looked like a paranoid nut, but those dreams...

“How the hell did you manage to sneak that thing aboard?!” He asks, genuinely perplexed.

“I-I-” You say, setting the rifle down. “I think I should-”

“No, you're staying here.” He says, snapping his fingers as the door latches shut. “We're talking.”

“You don't want to hear about it.” You tell him. “More war, death, and violence that nobody likes to talk about.”

“Is that what happened when you dozed off?” Nytro asks.

“Yeah, had a dream.” You tell him, stopping before you can go any further.

“Still, how'd you get them to allow that gun onboard.” He says.

“They thought it was a toy.” You tell him. “I wasn't gonna correct them.”

“But WHY?” He asks, pointing to the gun with both hands outstretched. “There's no need!”

“If you wanna know, you'll have to suffer through a story related to violence.” You tell him. “Otherwise you'll just have to suffer with 'I just need it'.”

“Dammit, fine.” He says, covering his face with his hands before rubbing his eyes. “No gore, okay?”

“Alright.” You tell him.

You sit back down on the bunk Nytro occupied, looking down at the floor before sighing. You told him you weren't going to talk about anything violent again, but promises never seem to be kept with you.

“I almost died 2 years ago.” You tell him. “I couldn't find my gun and I almost got stabbed by a guy with a knife. I've never felt safe without a gun within easy reach. Before you came to visit us that one time, I almost got everyone killed because I had no gun on me. I had to run all the way upstairs and back down again. They were already through the door and I just barely made it.”

“There's guards everywhere man. You don't need to feel unsafe. Besides, you got me to protect you.” He says with a smirk.

You're the exact opposite of amused, your face reflecting it as Nytro chuckles awkwardly.

“I just don't feel safe without a rifle by my side. Old habits die hard.” You tell him. “Especially when those habits save your life.”

“Well they almost got you killed, so try and lay off, will you?” He asks. “I'm kind of tired now, so I'm gonna sleep. Spots said she wanted to see you, so go pay the girls a visit.”

You nod and get up off the bed, walking towards the door. You grab the rifle and sling it over your before remembering you weren't going to use it. You set it back down and Nytro snaps his fingers, unlocking the door again. You still had your 45 on you, but if anyone was wearing any sort of armor, it wasn't going to penetrate. You begin walking down the hall when a familiar blue bird's icon pops up in front of you. Your ringtone begins playing and you pick up the call.

“Hello?” You ask.

“Hey, where'd you go?” Fluff asks. “I thought you were still here, I just brought you something.”

“Nytro dragged me along on a trip back to Serko. Why didn't you tell me Siania wasn't a planet?” You ask.

“It is. Siania being a country is correct, as is it being a planet. Remember I told you they owned territory on Serko? Well, the planet Ayn calls home is in turmoil due to terrorist attacks. Basically the entire planet is overrun with the people who tried to take over Katric. What you saw was basically the summer home of the queendom.” Fluff says, going on a tangent. “All of their important things and general belongings are still in the palace on the planet-”

“Dude, is there something you want to say?” You ask.

“Well, uh, yeah, sort of.” He tells you. “I was wondering if you could help lead an attack to take back the planet.”

If you had a phone in your hand, you'd drop it. Your squad against an entire planet full of space terrorists? You couldn't believe the monumental task he just dropped in your lap.

“Hello?” He asks. “Did he hang up? No, are you still there?”

“I-I'm here.” You say with a stutter. “Just taken aback a bit.”

“Well, okay, just making sure. You think you can do that?” He asks.

“I'll see what I can do. I'm not going to fight alongside Sianians, it brings back too many memories. However, I think I might be able to get some more troops over if I get a portal back to earth.” You tell him, thinking back to your white house summon.

“Aright, anything else you want to talk about?” He asks.

“Well, I'm heading over to talk with Zofie right now. She called me over to her room and I don't know why. Really hope she doesn't want me to Netflix and chill again.” You tell him. “I'm not up for that.”

“Huh, well when you come back, we need to talk about that stuff and other important stuff. Really important stuff.” He says. “I'll let you go for now. Give me a text when you get to 'Siania'.”

“Alright bird boy. Bye now.” You say, hanging up.

When you hang up, you make it to the room Zofie had taken, as well as Ayn, apparently. You knock on the door and it opens up, Zofie wagging her tail vigorously at your presence.

“Hallo!” She yells, her tail wagging so hard her hips are having a hard time staying put. “I was beginning to worry you weren't coming to visit!”

“Well, how can I say no to you?” You ask.

“Please, come in.” Zofie tells you, waving you inside.

When you get inside, the door closes and you look around, seeing a holographic TV playing an in flight movie as Ayn lounges on the rectangular bottom bunk. There was a holographic flower pot similar to the one ARA had brought you on top of a dresser with no visible handles, holding a flower that looked more like a spiral than anything. You look back to Zofie and see her jovial attitude has been replaced with a much more depressing tone.

“The war is almost over. They say they'll be taking Katric back a week from now. Does that mean you're going to leave us for good?” She asks, her tail having gone limp and her ears drooping down completely.

“I don't know right now.” You tell her. “Who told you that?”

“ARA did when she was baking with me.” Zofie replies.

You walk up to her and put a hand on her shoulder, causing her to hug you in return.

“Please don't go mein freund! I don't think I could bear it if you left us!” She tells you, her arms beginning to tremble as you feel her slide down your torso.

You grab her before she can hit the ground, hoisting her back up to her feet. She begins to cry, pleading for you to stay as you look over at Ayn. She gives you the same look Zofie did, not wanting you to go. Just as you're about to reply, you hear an alert tone over the PA system.

“We're sorry for the inconvenience, but due to unforeseen spacial weather conditions, we will be turning back to Katric until conditions improve!” The voice says excitedly, as if this inconvenience pleased it. “Accommodations will be made at a 4 star hotel on Katric until conditions improve. Thank you for your cooperation!”

“Well, guess we're heading back. Even though I looked over the flight plans and saw nothing was wrong with our route.” You say, hoping to defuse the situation.

Neither of them budged in their resolve, wanting an answer from you right now. Zofie continues to grip onto you as her sobs begin to overtake her desperate pleas for you to stay. However, you can't make another promise you can't keep. You begin to feel a pain in your right leg and lift Zofie off of you, groaning as the weight is taken off your body.

“I can't make another promise I can't keep Zofie, but I'll stay as long as I can before I have to go back.” You tell her.

“W-why do you h-have to leave us?” She asks, still shaking and sobbing.

“I still have my dad to look after. Nobody looks after him and he'd be devastated if I-” You say before changing your mind. “Well...you know what? I'll see what I can do.”

“THANK YOU!” Zofie shouts, startling you.

She latches back onto you and you yelp in pain, your leg feeling as if it broke again.

“Oh mein Gott, I'm so sorry!” She says, pushing herself away swiftly.

“It's fine.” You tell, her, leaning back on the wall. “I'm fine. I just need to get some rest.”

You turn back for the door and sigh, walking out of the room, not knowing what to do now.

7 hours later

You're back at The Tower, Fluff there to greet you with a smile as you enter your room.

“Back so soon?” He asks.

“What's going on out there?” You ask in return. “I checked the flight plan before takeoff and it said there was no inclement space weather. What changed?”

“Why are you so tense?” He asks, his personality seeming to deflate. “What'd I do?”

“I'm just asking a question.” You reply.

“Well, there was some terrorist activity on Serko, specifically in the former Sianian province and Liertz. The old world district is one of the only places that's holding strong.” He says. “How, I don't know, but some reports say they have armor there-”

“Was that your doing?” You ask accusingly before sighing and laying back against the wall. “Sorry, I'm just really fried right now. I shouldn't be such an ass.”

“Hey, don't worry. I'm not mad at you.” He says. “Also, no, I had nothing to do with that. I only really have direct control over the AI, and can only give commands to people for them to hopefully follow. Kind of like if I told you to get me a glass of water, you have a choice on whether or not you do it.”

“Okay, mind if I sit down for a bit.” You tell him, using your cane to help you walk for the first time since you got out of the hospital. “Feel like I'm getting old for the first time in a long time.”

He nods and you walk over to the couch, sitting down and letting out a sigh.

“So, what's this thing you wanted to show me?” You ask.

“Oh, today's your birthday, right?” He asks. “It's been a while since real me has checked, but it was May 30th, right?”

“It is? I guess it is.” You reply. “I'm 28 now.”

“Well, I told everyone that today was your big day and they all sort of freaked out and ran off. Even ARA went off to get something and her tracker said she went across the city before shutting down.” He says. “If I were a betting man, I'd bet they were off to get you something for your birthday.”

“Well, shit.” You say. “You actually remembered.”

“Of course I did. You remembered my birthday, even gave me that sketch of an office party.” He tells you.

“Yeah, how'd you like that?” You ask.

“It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't very good either. It's the thought that counts.” He tells you, smiling awkwardly.

“I still need a lot of practice.” You say. “I write and draw for fun while you draw for a living. It's only expected that I won't be as good as someone who does it for money.”

“But you published a book with my characters in it for money.” He tells you with a smile. “Just because we have different skill sets doesn't mean either one of us is better than the other.”

“But I didn't say you were better.” You tell him.

“I've known you long enough to know where this is going. Might as well cut straight to the chase and save us both some time.” He tells you.

“Guess you're right.” You tell him. “Mind showing me what it is you wanted to show me?”

Fluff nods and sits down beside you, handing you a heavily weighted sock. You look closer and see a barely concealed silhouette of a revolver. You take it out and see it's your dad's gun. You completely forgot you gave it to him. You pop open the cylinder and see it was empty, sighing in relief.

“I was actually really surprised you didn't remember your own birthday.” He tells you.

“Well, I kind of lost track of time. Was in and out of consciousness for a good portion of the past 2 months.” You tell him. “Also, please tell me you didn't ask them to get me anything.”

“I didn't say anything.” He says as he pulls a tablet pen out of his pocket. “Do you want your present now?”

“Uh, sure. I thought the present was my dad's gun back.” You tell him.

“You think I'm some sort of hack who gives half baked presents to my friends? No. I'm a better person than that.” He tells you, opening the tablet. “This is your drawing you gave to me. The lines were very similar to my own, which I guess is what you were going for.”

You look over the drawing and nod, seeing PD in the bottom right corner. You even tried to replicate Fluff's handwriting, which took forever to perfect. He flicks the image over and the PD is replaced with 'FK+PD' instead. It's a full color image that's been shaded in HD and meticulously reworked to not look like dog shit. You look over at him and smile, this was a wall hanger for sure.

“Wait, there's more.” He says with a smile.

You watch as he presses the screen and everything begins moving. It's so fluid and seamless that you wouldn't be able to tell the difference between it and a professional movie studio like Disney. He put a lot of effort and time into this, just for you?

“Happy birthday Fluff!” Everyone yells, scaring you half to death.

You watch as he blows the candles out and the image freezes, leaving you stunned. Why? Why would he do this for you?

“Not to sound ungrateful, but, why?” You ask, taking the tablet with barely contained jitters. “Why would you do something so time consuming for me?”

“Well, you kind of saved the entirety of Katric from terrorist rule, unintentionally saved my life twice, and even had the decency to not take ARA in your bedroom, well, at all from what I hear.” He tells you. “I think this is the least I can do for you, since you've remembered my birthday every year.”

“I can't thank you enough, this is exactly how I would've done it!” You tell him excitedly. “This is definitely getting hung up on my wall.”

“I do have a question for you though.” He says.

“S-sure, name it.” You say shakily.

“What does PD stand for anyways?” He asks.

“Oh, uh, well, that's a long story.” You tell him.

“Oh, nevermind then.” He says.

“Yeah, it's not really important.” You tell him. “Speaking of important stuff, what did you want to talk to me about?”

“Oh...” He says, looking down at the floor. “Can it at least wait until after your party?”

“Well, sure.” You tell him.

His smile returns to him, making you smile in turn. He was right. All this stress could wait a day.

ARA

You sigh, looking back at the map of the city on your HUD. Everyone has been giving you strange looks, even calling the Kaltag authorities, but you made sure to jam their phones and ear pieces. Nobody knows where you go on birthdays, or how you make it out of the Tower and get people gifts, but it was best nobody found out either. You had noticed that mister Jac-, er, Jackson, had been having trouble with accuracy in the city. He had the correct stance and was about as good a shot as a pure organic could get, but he was limited by the weaponry he carried. So you had set out to get yet another one of your famous, or infamous, practical gifts.

When you went out shopping for miss Vikna's 23rd birthday, you went out of town to buy her something she was sorely lacking. A companion outside of work. The anthroid you had managed to order was a semi-sentient being on the same scale of sentience as you were without breaking the rules of being a sentient being. He would follow her every command and treat her like a princess, as he put it. However, when you brought him to her, she rejected him almost immediately. Well, after she took him off to her apartment for a few days. She couldn't stay calm at work the next day, constantly crying and whining throughout the day before getting the memories erased from her brain. You couldn't help but be disappointed, as she never told you what was wrong or how you could fix it in the future.

For Nytro's birthday last year, you bought him one of those Kaltag competition guns they had started making the year before, which he seemed to like a lot. A shocking amount of research and development went into making it capable of firing in environments where it was thought impossible to fire a gun. An example of this was when a magical field was imposed on the gun, making it impossible to fire since the ability to ignite the powder was inhibited. The mechanism behind it is a trade secret, but it had become a favorite of Kaltag security details visiting other companies with high ranking company officials or mid to high ranking officers. If your sources were right, and you had absolutely no reason to doubt official Kaltag documentation, a rifle was definitely in the works along with a sort of “sub-rifle” that could be used for personal defense.

Princess Ayn was a very tough person to shop for, on account of her not being around as often as you'd like or the fact she never talks about anything outside of social activities she engages in. Protocols you couldn't identify prevented you from giving her gifts that she would enjoy the most, but you were able to think of something she might enjoy just as much. You managed to get her a portable cloaking device, so she was able to sneak out and interact with you on a more consistent basis. It was, of course, Kaltag branded because it was the only brand you trusted. They were also your makers, so you may be programmed with a bias toward them, but no deep scans of your personality matrix were able to find any such bias. You can confirm it was a good gift, as she was more able to sneak out to see you, which made you, for lack of a better word, happier.

Your thought process ends as you walk into a store that would hopefully solve his problem. You walk towards the door and the two sides open for you as you walk inside. The store owner comes to the front of the shop and his eyes widen in surprise. He picks up the phone and you jam the signal immediately, seeing him become confused as to why his phone isn't working.

“Sir, please. My name is ARA 0-1-1, I'm here to purchase a firearm.” You tell him with a smile.

“I know who you are, you're the Apex model that keeps making trouble. Well, I don't want any, so just git, ya hear?” He asks in a very thick Liertzian accent.

“I promise I will cause no trouble. I was only wondering if I could buy one of your DMRs.” You reply. “I will pay with credits.”

You hold up your credit chip and he seems to enter a state miss Vikna called, 'relaxation'. He sighs and picks a gun up off the rack behind him, which surprises you, considering the sheer physical aspect of it. You'd think there was an interface he could use to show you the gun, but he seems more of an, uh, “old fashioned” kind of guy.

“This here is one of the best I got. Can pin the tail on a donkey's ass at 1000 yards. Guaranteed or your money back.” He says with a smile. “I thought you ARA units had no combat training or programming.”

“Oh, I, uh.” You say, trying to think of a lie as well as a way past the mental block for lies. “Not exactly. You see, I'm, uh, trying out my shooting skills. I might need them ever since terrorists tried to take the Tower.”

“That's good for you. My range is open to you any time. This gun will run you about 1500 credits.” He says.

“You have a deal.” You say, setting the chip on the table.

“Well, usually I'd run a background check now, but you really don't have much of a background to check. I'll package it up for you.” He tells you, running the card before taking the gun into the back.

You smile and wait before jamming his phone again, having detected him trying to call Kaltag.

“The gun.” You tell him loudly with a smirk.

“Ya got me. I'm almost finished anyhow, and done!” He says enthusiastically as he makes it back out with a box. “Stealth packaged so nobody will know it's a gun.”

You look down and see it's a plane old cardboard box. You really hope that Jackson will be happy with it. This prompts you to take the box and give him a warm smile before leaving out the door you came. Time to cuddle with the guards again until they let you in.

Vikna

Shit, what do you get him? You really needed to repay all the nasty things you said to him over the past half a year. Especially since he's basically become renowned as a hero around the city. You look around the store before finding the perfect thing for him. An endurance machine. Wait, no, that'd be like an insult. It would be like saying 'hey Jack, happy birthday you fat and lazy piece of shit.', so that's a no go. You groan, looking around the store some more.

Wait, he probably needs some clothes. You should get him some. What size did he wear? Large? Probably a large. You continue shopping as you wrack your brain, unsure of what to get him. Maybe...no, a ring is too obvious. Well, you could spring your feelings on him and give him you for his birthday. He'd like that, right? Oh god, what if he's gay?! What if he doesn't want any relationships after that Tilya person dumped him? You were going crazy!

Jack

4 hours later

Fluff is last to sit at the table as Zofie nearly wags herself out of the seat. She's so excited for you to blow out your candles that you thought she might take off. Apparently she spent all of her time back on Katric making sure the cake was perfect. You could tell she put a lot of effort into it, seeing there were absolutely no defects. It was flawless. She even made it out of the vanilla you gave her, so it wasn't going to taste like a fruit that exploded.

The candles on the cake read “28” in honor of you turning 28 this year. This was the first time you had a party surrounded by friends in your entire life, as previous parties never had anyone but your family over. It made you feel so happy that they were just there.

“Blow out ze candles!” Zofie says excitedly.

“Yeah, I wanna take off this party hat.” Nytro says. “Makes me look like a dunce.”

You take that as your cue and bend over the table, blowing the candles out. Everyone smiles and claps quietly. You wished that this could last forever, the happiness and purpose. At least until you died. Everything you've been through would be worth it to be surrounded by friends as great as them.

20 minutes later

The cake had been all but devoured by everyone, including you. Zofie was very pleased with how it turned out, saying that this was your gift from her. You thanked her and she forced you to sit in place while she took care of the dishes. Everyone except Fluff had moved over to the central area, which had comfortable one piece chairs that reclined somehow. Fluff had left to go take care of something earlier, but he was there with a camera drone of some kind. Vikna, ARA, and Nytro were the only ones who were giving you anything wrapped. Ayn wanted to go first, as she didn't really have anything wrapped to give you.

“Here you go sweetie. Some money so you can go and get something you want.” She says, handing you a card. “Happy birthday.”

You smile and open the card, seeing a credit card fall out as your translator translates the card.

'We hope this card finds you well. A happy birthday from the Miyurs.

-Ayn, Sabir, and Kesis

PS: The card has about 15 grand on it, so spend wisely ;)'

“Thanks Ayn. Tell your parents I said thanks as well.” You tell her, still in shock at how much money they gave you.

“You're welcome, and I will.” She says with a smile as you pull out your wallet, setting the card into the card slot. “My parents don't really have a concept of money, so they gave you what they considered a modest amount.”

“I'm next.” Vikna says. “I couldn't think of what to get you, so I figured you might want some clothes.”

She hands you some wrapped up clothes and you unwrap them, seeing it's a pair of pants paired with a shirt of some kind. They both felt very comfortable in your hands, not even able to imagine what they felt like on your body. You folded them back up and unwrapped the rest, all being of the same or better quality.

“Thank you very much. I'll change my clothes after we're done with the party.” You tell her, looking down at the uniform you still wore after all these months.

“I guess I'm next.” Nytro says, tossing his over to you.

You catch the box and set it down on your lap. It was a rather small box, about a foot cubed. When you open the top, you see some crayons and glue sitting in the bottom of the box. You snicker a bit before bursting out into laughter as you take the items out of the box, setting them on the arms of the chair. When you finally compose yourself, you look up to see everyone in the room is confused except Nytro.

“You want me to eat these too?” You ask. “I'll do it.”

“Nah, look deeper.” He says.

You put your hand on the bottom of the box and feel it move, lifting the false bottom to reveal a box with a rather ornate looking pistol inside. You attempt to pull the box out of the bottom, but it seems to be stuck. This drives you to use the tried and trusted 'shake the fuck out of the box until it drops the contents' method. When the pistol falls out of the box, you look it over. It was black with Kaltag markings on it as well.

“Kaltag makes firearms?” You ask.

“They've been making competition guns for about a year now. They're really high quality guns for reasonable prices.” Nytro replies. “I have that same exact model as my new carry pistol.”

You open the box and see it has some specialty engravings on it as well. The 4 chevrons, indicating a Staff Sergeant, the globe and anchor, and a silhouette of a man saluting. Engravings give no tactical advantage whatsoever, but they're a nice touch when they're done like this. No reflection at all, even has a threaded barrel for a suppressor.

“Well, since you've owned one for a while, what can I expect?” You ask, clearing the weapon.

“They're pretty rugged and fire every time you pull the trigger, magical inhibitors be damned. Specially designed powder charges that can counter all magical inhibitors, which apparently makes them pretty popular assassination weapons. I needed to show credentials just to consider purchasing one of these.” He tells you, audibly unsure about the claim. “They're pretty reliable, even when caked in dirt or mud. I knew you'd want something that isn't going to jam up on you if you drop it in mud or sand.”

“Well, that's really thoughtful of you. I thought I was going to just get a joke present, but you came through with something great.” You tell him with a smile. “You guys are all great-”

“Now wait for approximately one minute. I too have brought something.” ARA tells you, bringing out a box that's of significant length. “Here you are mister Jackson.”

Before she can make it over to you, she seems to crumple to the ground, the box hitting the ground before revealing a rifle of some kind. However, that wasn't your concern. ARA had gone completely dark, all lighting having vanished from her paw pads and mouth. Her eyes were closed shut as she continue to lay limp on the floor, everyone sitting in shock. You're the first one up to check on her.

“ARA, you okay?” You ask her, hoping it was just a fault. “Are you damaged?”

“She just shut down...” Vikna says. “She doesn't have authorization to make a call like that in the middle of an interaction.”

“Jeez, anyone else feeling a bit dizzy?” Nytro asks before falling back in his seat.

“Scheisse.” Is all Zofie says before falling back too.

“It's a magic user.” Ayn says, already about to pass out. “Run...”

She passes out too, laying back as her outstretched arm falls to the side.

“Aw shi-”

Vikna doesn't even finish the sentence before collapsing on the ground.

“Look at you, all dressed up for your big day~.” A voice tells you seductively.

“Who are you?” You ask.

“The magic user you so dearly love.” She tells you. “The one who only wanted what was best for you. However, you rejected my gift, as did all your soldiers and friends. So now, I will make you...suffer~.”

You feel yourself begin to fall and hit the floor standing up, looking around. There was nothing but an endless black void, spanning in all directions. What was this place?

“Your eternal damnation cutey.” She says, seemingly reading your thoughts.

“Why are you doing this to me?” You ask.

“Because you backed us into a corner. I have no other choice but to get rid of you and your friends.” She says. “I will make you all suffer like you never have before. Let's start off with the princess.”

You're thrust into a room with a large velvet bed, red and pink hearts adorning the magenta walls. On the bed was a fully naked Ayn, getting railed by a massive coyote as she stares into what you assumed was a floating camera. It was spherical in shape, with no visible lens as it floated towards her exposed flesh. She was also doing the one thing she never does with personal sex, frowning. She always smiled during sex, no matter how rough or weird, but now...she looked almost sad.

The coyote grunts and you look away before being slapped by an unseen force, making you pay attention. The cum is gushing from her as she lets out an almost forced moan, biting her bottom lip as if she wants to stop herself from doing so. The coyote knots her, forcing the remaining spurts to stay inside as she pushes her head into the bed. She hated this. You try to walk forward and stop the torment, but you're met with pain so unimaginably terrible that you scream in agony. Ayn doesn't seem to hear it, as she yelps when the knot is pulled out. When the coyote gives her a pat on the back, a fake smile creeps its way onto her face as she looks towards the camera.

“Make sure to donate for even m-more exclusives like this.” She says with a bit of a stutter. “Thanks guys, mistress Ayn signing off.”

She taps the top of the camera and the coyote snorts.

“How far you've fallen, princess.” He tells her. “Nothing but a two bit slut.”

He spits on her coat and she sinks her head low into the mattress as the coyote leaves. When the door closes, you hear soft sobs come from her as she looks up from the bed, the sobs turning to cries and eventually wails of desperation. Even someone as socially inept as you could see she didn't want any of this. You try to reach out, only to drop to the floor in indescribable agony. She couldn't hear you, and you couldn't touch her.

“You can't save them, comfort them, tell them it's going to be alright, none of that.” The voice says in a teasing tone. “They can't hear you and you can't look away from them. Now, let's move on to the Germanic dog.”

The next view is of Zofie's cake shop being engulfed in flames as she looks on in utter disbelief. She was shocked as the roof collapsed in on itself, throwing flames and burning embers into the sky. She too began to sob, as Ayn had before you. The scene changes to her putting on a smile, an apron adorning her front as she stands behind a counter.

“Welcome to Slavinskoyia Burgers, where our meat is fresh and our ladies are fresher!” She says in the most fake and practiced tone you've ever heard. “How may I help you today?”

“Are you on the menu sweetheart?” An ugly, fat bastard of a cheetah asks.

“I can be if you'd like!” She says with a tone and smile so lifeless you felt your heart skip a beat.

“That's more like it. Come on now, I'll pay extra if you swallow all of it.” He tells her in a thick, almost Bostonian accent.

“Yes sir!” She says with fake enthusiasm. “I'll be right with you in my private booth.”

He nods and gives her a credit chip, which she uses to pay for the burger and her body. Her ears fold down further and the cheetah smirks.

“No payment until we both get our meal.” He says with a shit eating grin.

“R-right you are sir.” She says, her facade cracking a bit as she grits her teeth in anger. “I'll be right back.”

“Poor thing, reduced to a lowly sex worker at a burger joint.” The voice tells you as you watch Zofie walk to her booth. “I'm sure she thinks about you and her friends all the time, but she'll never see you or them ever again. Now to the swordsman.”

The scene shifts to Nytro sitting in a chair, reading a tablet and looking 40 years older. He folds the footrest down and sighs, grabbing something from the side of the chair. It looks like a walker of some sort. When he attempts to get up, he falls onto the walker and grunts, his arms shaking under the strain. Nytro eventually regains his balance and stands up with the aide of the walker. He grits his teeth and tries to stand up, but falls, destroying the walker under his weight. You just notice now that he had gained quite a few pounds, being much less attractive than he was before. Almost like you were a few months ago.

“Mister Sykran, are you alright?” A nurse asks before popping in. “Oh dear, another one?”

“Get out.” He says, tears beginning to form.

“Mister Sykran, you know I can't leave-”

“GET OUT!” He screams, his elderly voice barely containing the sadness present in his face.

The nurse leaves immediately, Nytro crying as soon as she leaves. He lays there before rolling into a ball, continuing to bawl about his current situation.

“W-why me?” He asks, laying on his back. “W-why take my legs? Why me?”

“Nytro...” You say, trying to move before being thrown to the ground by excruciating pain.

“Stupid boy, when will you learn?” The voice asks. “Now, for your robot friend.”

The next scene is ARA sitting at a very low tech looking terminal, doing nothing as she looks around the futuristic looking office complex. Her chair hummed as she continued to stare at the computer, the seat floating up and down while her head remained glued to the desk. She looked so bored.

“Come on, give me something to do.” She says, rubbing the top of her head. “I completed the yearly quota 30 days ago.”

She looks around the room and her eyes rest on you, making you smile a bit. She could see you? Then, you feel yourself being pushed out of the way by a very confused looking rhino. He looks around the room, then back at you before walking over to ARA. He stands beside her and she's obviously displeased. He begins rubbing her shoulders and she tries to swat him away, but she runs into a block that stops her.

“ARA, you know we bought you out, so we can do whatever we want with you. If that means keeping you here with nothing to do except, well, being eye and finger candy, then so be it.” He says.

Now that you look closer, ARAs frame looks a bit worn, her fur looking a bit matted in places from not being brushed, and her clothing looks significantly lower quality than is normal for her to wear. She sighs, looking down at the holographic keyboard on top of the very functional looking one-piece desk.

“I wish to be transferred back to Kaltag.” She says, the defeat apparent in her voice.

“Nope, they're the ones who sold you to us, now start looking busy before we throw you into the trash heap.” The man says before leaving her to 'work' on something.

When he's out of earshot, you look back and see her laying her head down on the keyboard. Then you hear a gentle sniffle and look around before realizing it was her. She's crying.

“Oh god...ARA.” You say, reaching out.

You immediately regret this decision, your entire body being wracked by pain so intense, your body just shuts down. When you hit the floor, you're brought back up into place before you feel someone slap you again.

“You're either the most stubborn, or stupidest person I've ever seen.” The voice says. “Well, we've spent enough time here, let's go see what the blue one has in store for us.”

You're thrust in front of Vikna, who's on a terminal as she continues to work on some sort of spreadsheet. She looks absolutely miserable. She had what must be the furry equivalent of bags under her eyes, her fur looking slightly less vibrant as you spot a few grey hairs in her head. She wore some sort of semi-formal robe as she looked over to a picture you couldn't see from your position. A single tear made its way down her cheek as she opened a drawer, rooting around inside before finding something. She then looks around and takes a deep breath, taking a pistol from the drawer before closing it. No...she wouldn't...

“I think she would~.” The voice teases.

She racks the slide back, loading a round into the chamber, which seems to grab a few peoples attention.

“VIKNA! NO!” You scream.

She doesn't even react, instead flicking the safety off as she runs a hand over the pistol. No, you weren't going to let this show go on any longer. You grit your teeth and give it your all, leaping past the invisible barrier before the pain came. It completely immobilized you, turning you into a shrieking mess on the ground. You watch as Vikna puts the gun up to her muzzle, opening it up before sticking the gun inside. Something inside you pushed back, pushing back against the forces that are keeping you in place. No, you won't let her die. YOU WON'T LET ANY OF THEM DIE!

“NO!” You scream, continuing to push forward. “DON'T!”

Her ears perk up and she takes the gun out of her mouth. She heard you!

“What?! She can't possibly hear you!” The voice says. “You shouldn't be able to move!”

You put an arm out before continuing to scream in agony, the pain increasing in intensity. You pull yourself forward and she puts the gun back to her mouth, pulling the hammer back as she closes her eyes. You find the strength to get off the ground, propping yourself up against the cubical. The noise startles her and she looks up at your hand, looking extremely worried. The gun comes out of her mouth as she continues to hold it close to her face.

“W-what?” She asks, her voice much more mature sounding.

You throw yourself inside the cubical, the pain stopping as you grab the gun from Vikna. She seems scared half to death by your presence as you chuck the gun across the office, hearing it clatter to the ground on the other side of the complex. Your breathing is ragged from the pain, still in shock from just how bad that hurt. You look back at her and she has her hands up to her chest, as if to surrender to you. You see she was looking at a picture of all of you by a lake, taking a photo with 2 kids you didn't recognize. It breaks your heart to see this before you turn around again. Then, she begins to shake her head.

“Y-you're dead...” She says, not believing you actually exist.

“I'm not.” You tell her.

“You're just a figment of my imagination...” She says. “You're not real...”

“I just chucked your gun across this imaginary office of yours. I think that makes me pretty real.” You tell her before leaning against the desk.

Before you have a chance to rest, she passes out, hitting the chair with a thud. You begin falling again before slamming against the floor, groaning in pain.

“Find me soldier boy. I won't stop until you do~” The voice tells you, seeming to fade away as you look around the room.

You see your friends are all still on the ground, some twitching while others lay, seemingly lifeless. You push yourself off the ground and see Vikna beginning to wake up first.

“W-where am I?” She asks.

Just as she asks that, Fluff enters the room with some beers, seeing everyone on the floor.

“Vikna, just lay there for a bit.” You tell her, struggling to get off the floor.

“What the fuck?” Fluff asks. “Ayn, Zofie, Nytro? Wait, ARA!”

He immediately rushes over to ARA, rolling her off the gun and lifting her dress. He takes a cord out of his back pocket and connects it to his phone, turning it on as you still try to get yourself up. Ayn, Zofie, and Nytro were still asleep and you manage to get to your feet.

“I...you all died 12 years ago. How did you-”

“It didn't happen.” You tell her. “None of it.”

You make your way over to her with great effort, struggling to move as all your strength seems to have left you. When you reach her, you see her hands are quivering as she looks at her fur.

“The past 12 years of my life were all a lie?” She asks, her lips beginning to quiver. “I'm not sprouting grey hairs?”

After struggling for what seems like hours, you reach Vikna and attempt to pull her up into an embrace. You end up almost falling on top of her, just barely catching yourself with about an inch between her muzzle and your nose.

“S-sorry.” You say, your face beginning to heat up as you push yourself back.

“ARA, come on, BOOT!” Fluff shouts, typing frantically as he begins to panic.

“I haven't had a man this close to me in almost 4 years...” She says, beginning to push herself forward. “They all just started ignoring me...”

“But it's only been a few seconds!” You tell her.

“Not to me it hasn't.” She says with a smile.

You push back from her before her lips can touch yours, causing her to whine a bit.

“Fluff, Vikna is trying to kiss me.” You tell him, backing away from her.

“Then let her! I'm busy trying to fix ARA right now.” He says.

“That's not the only thing I'm going to do to you.” She says, smirking a bit as she gets up.

“No, Vikna, you know what I said about having sex with all of you-”

“Just fuck her god dammit! It's not a marriage proposal, it's SEX!” He yells, slamming his feathered fingers into the phone, trying to make ARA work. “God dammit, WAKE UP ARA!”

“Aw come on, my fur's not rough any more, I promise.” Vikna tells you, getting up from the chair and making her way towards you.

She continues to you as she sways her hips, her tail counter balancing her stride while she begins to strip. You counter by moving backwards, careful not to trip over anything.

“Vikna! This isn't like you! There's people here!” You yell.

She looks back towards Fluff and the rest of her friends, her cheeks going red as she pulls her skirt back up.

“We need to go somewhere private.” She says.

“I never said yes to this!” You yell.

She finally reaches you as she backs you against the wall, running her hands up your sides before reaching your shoulders. She rubs her admittedly soft hands and fur along your shoulders and neck before moving them up to your cheeks.

“You have no idea how hot and bothered I am right now.” She says, putting a hand down to her crotch. “I'm soaked and I haven't even gotten my clothes off.”

“Vikna...” You try to say, but you don't want her to stop.

“Please?” She asks, bringing her snout closer to your lips. “Just a few minutes is all I want.”

Well, you haven't really jacked off in a few weeks, so maybe it'll be good for you to let off a bit of steam.

“Think of it as an extension of your present.” She says, her lips less than an inch away from yours.

Her breath smelled minty fresh, almost like it was the natural smell of her mouth. She'd never been this close to you before outside of the embraces you've given her.

“I...well...fine. We can-MMF!” You say before being cut off by a passionate kiss from Vikna.

She pushes her tongue past your lips and begins rubbing it against your teeth, begging you to open them. You happily oblige, letting her tongue enter your mouth as she explores the inner depths of your throat. Her tongue was surprisingly long, having a surface similar to light sandpaper as she felt along your teeth. She brushed over your ground down bottom incisors and you fight to keep yourself from hissing in pain, embracing her as best you could in your weakened state. When she pulled back, you felt like a piece of you had left with her.

“Come on now, let's go to my room.” She tells you in a sultry voice you've never heard from her before.

20 minutes later

You've had time to cool down from your little makeout session with Vikna, your head having cleared of all sexual thoughts. The entire way here, she'd been explaining, no, trying to convince you that sex doesn't mean committing. You didn't know much about social situations, but this sounds a lot more like she's trying to convince herself than you. When you reach her room, you step inside and she comes in after you.

“Vikna, I changed my mind.” You tell her. “I don't want to do this.”

“Thank god.” She says, laying back on her bed. “The urge left a bit before we came in here.”

You nod, walking back towards the door.

“I need to go and check on the rest of them. Fluff is gonna have his hands full if I don't get down there.” You tell her. “You gonna be okay up here?”

“Yeah, I'll be fine. I just need some rest.” She tells you. “Happy birthday by the way.”

“Thanks.” You say, walking out the door.

1 hour later

Fluff was still working on ARA as you watched over the other 3, who still haven't woken up yet. As soon as you think that, you hear a gasp before Ayn shoots up, breathing heavily as she looks around the room. She sees you and immediately pulls you toward her, already beginning to cry.

“It's okay, we all still love you Ayn.” You tell her, stroking her spiky red hair as she continues to bawl. “Nobody hates you. You're not...whatever that was anymore, you're...back with us.”

Ayn shakes her head, continuing to cry as the sadness takes hold. You hold her tight, letting her cry into your chest as she stains it with tears and saliva. She begins to calm down as you continue to give her pets, the cries dying down to sobs before eventually subsiding.

“Y-you saw?” She asks, sniffling.

“I saw everything.” You tell her. “I tried to save you, but there was a barrier.”

“W-what about everyone else?” She asks.

“I saw everyone else too.” You tell her. “I-”

“My legs!” Nytro shouts. “Oh thank god my legs work!”

You turn around and see Nytro walking around, his eyes stained with tears of joy as Ayn pulls away.

“Thank you sweetie.” She tells you. “I'm fine now.”

You nod and scoot over to Zofie, taking her limp form in your arms as you cradle her gently. She was going to need some therapy for her nightmare.

“R-Rei?” ARA asks shakily. “Thank god I'm still me!”

“ARA, are you okay?” Fluff asks. “You're acting strange...”

“I am extremely upset mister Rei, I am not an office worker, I am a highly advanced military anthroid made to relay information at unprecedented speed. I will not work on spread sheets for an office complex!” ARA shouts angrily. “I AM NOT AN OFFICE ANTHROID!”

“ARA, calm down!” Rei yells. “You're not an office anthroid, you're ARA, the relay administrator for the Tower. Not some office worker. Give me a status report if it'll calm you down.”

“I am now feeling increased amounts of negative emotions that I can not identify. I do not enjoy these emotions.” She says, prompting you to look over to her. “I-I do not enjoy this!”

She pulls Fluff into a hug and you see her eyes are shut tight as she begins to inhale sharply in what you can only describe as “crying when you don't know how”. Fluff looks back at you, confusion in his eyes as he continues to comfort ARA.

“She was forced to sit in the office after finishing a yearly quota a month ago.” You tell him. “She wasn't allowed to do anything either, just sitting there and being eye candy.”

“That's terrible...” He says, holding his anthroid close. “You don't need to be sad, I'm here ARA.”

You feel Zofie hang onto your neck weakly, sobbing a few times before going limp again. She looks up at you, tears coming from her eyes. She was too tired to cry. You hold her close to you, the feeling of sorrow slowly being replaced by anger. This lady, she was going to pay dearly for mind fucking your friend. You rub Zofie's long blonde hair, her eyes closing gently as she enjoys the sensation of being held and pet. How could someone force somebody as innocent as Zofie into something that heinous? She pulls her head up to yours, licking the side of your face weakly before eventually falling back into your arms, licking at your blouse instead. You pull her close to you, rubbing your face against her hair as she licks at the nape of your neck again.

When you look back at Nytro, he's laying in Ayn's lap, as you could swear you hear purring come from his direction, but it stops as soon as he sees you looking. Ayn is looking back at you before you decide enough is enough. Zofie gets off of you as you prompt her to, having regained some of her strength. You get up, walking over to the box ARA dropped as everyone looks at you with a mixture of dismay and confusion. When you pick up the gun, Fluff looks up at you with confusion present.

“What are you doing?” He asks.

“I'm going to kill someone very violently.” You reply, grabbing a loaded magazine from the box.

“Who are you going to kill?!” He asks, pulling ARA close to him.

“A woman who needs killing.” You reply, grabbing the pistol and loading it up too.

“Where are you going?” He asks.

“The jungle.” You reply, already heading toward the door.

“What? NO!” He yells. “Don't do it Jack, you'll be killed!”

You grit your teeth, continuing onward before turning the corner toward the elevator.

30 minutes later

You finish putting on your Kevlar, keeping the SAPI plates here due to their weight. You still haven't healed your leg up, which means you're only carrying the bare essentials. You were no longer just a Marine at this point, you were a marksman now, as you were meant to be. You finish packing the last of the DMR mags, putting them inside of a pouch. Once that's finished, you get on the radio, requesting takeoff clearance.

“November Juliet Foxtrot Five Five Nine requesting catapult takeoff from bay 37C.” You tell The Tower.

“Roger November Juliet, you're clear for launch from bay 37C.” The Tower crew tell you.

You feel yourself get slammed against the back of the seat as you're thrown out the side of The Tower, engaging the engines and getting on a heading to the jungle.

4 hours later

You manage to land in a large clearing about a kilometer away from your last LZ, wearing some kind of helmet as you shut down the Pelican-like craft. When you exit the cockpit, you see there's quite a bit of ammunition and supplies inside here. You just stole a random aircraft, not even looking through the cargo once you did. You're also really surprised they didn't question you taking off, as you're sure you sound nothing like the usual pilot. As for the helmet, the armorer said it would protect you against more mind fucking. Said it blocked Tau based mind control and manipulation, sort of like a tin foil hat. Hopefully it actually works, unlike a tin foil hat. You take off the helmet and begin to speak.

“I will kill anyone and everyone in this fucking jungle until I find you.” You say, putting the helmet back on.

The rear door opens and you grab some bug spray, spraying it over your entire body before rubbing some on your face. When you step out of the spacecraft, you feel a rock hard bottom. You look down, seeing nothing but dead leaves and sticks. This intrigues you, so you move all of foliage out of the way to reveal a concrete bunker.

“What?” You ask.

You look around the area and start moving the brush with your feet, revealing more concrete. It looked chipped and weathered, indicating it was very old, if not ancient. You begin looking around for an entrance, finding a landing gear wheel not set on anything solid. You move branches out of the way and see a plastic hatch covering the entrance. You draw your pistol, making sure it's loaded before stepping down the concrete steps. Once down, you stack up on the door, seeing a control panel for it. There's a simple button labeled “Open” on it, but what's strange is that the translator didn't need to translate. Was it in English?

You press the button and the door hisses, opening up to the bunker. When it opens enough for you to get inside, you turn on a flash light and begin scanning the room. When you set your eyes on the walls, you nearly drop the pistol and flashlight. Posters lined the walls with bands you've heard of before, like The Rolling Stones, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Who, and The Beatles. A human was here before. You look around the room before finding a switch by the door, twisting it until it made a mechanical click. Lights flickered before turning on, revealing a couch, some more futuristic stuff, and a few computers laying on the floor.

When you lay your eyes on the desk to your right, you see an old IBM computer sitting on the desk. It was powered on, but the screen was turned off. You make your way to it and turn the screen on, revealing a word program being open. You take a look at the file on screen and it appears to be some sort of diary. You scroll all the way up and see a name, Catao Deltrivich. Time to read up on who this Catao person is.

'First log

I've finally figured out how to type on this thing. It uses buttons instead of holographic keys like everything else I'm used to. Had to get rid of the men inside here though, they're locked in the lower levels. They called themselves humans, which was curious. This place is strange. It's so old and made of materials that have long since been replaced by more convenient to make materials like plasteel. They say it's a “nuclear silo” whatever that means. The soldiers were taken away and more than likely killed. I feel bad for them, but they're in the way of us achieving our goal of a better world.'

'Day 23

They stuck a collar on me after I tried running. I don't like using my powers for this. I hate it and don't want to do it any more. I can't say anything or they'll blow up the collar. If I try to tamper with it, it electrocutes me and I pass out. Why did I ever agree to this anti technology thing? I just wanted my brother to stop using his phone all the time and play with his friends, not kill people by trapping them in their own minds.'

'Day 48

Another human entered the forest. I was able to get through to his friends and him pretty easily, sticking them in paradise, but he didn't want it. He knew it was all fake, didn't buy any of it. I don't understand why he'd never accept something he wants so bad. I was so close, but his father ended up there too somehow, completely foiling the attempt. I was grateful for it, having ended the situation with only bloodshed on my new enemy's side. The next time I can get to him, they told me to make him suffer. I don't want to. It hurts me to do this to someone.'

'Day 72

I came to him in a dream, trying to tell him what was happening and to come help, but he wouldn't listen. He said he'd kill me if I ever did anything like I did again. He said he'd find me, rip my arms from my sockets and do other violent things to me. I may have to chance it.'

'Day 89

Oh god, I think I did it. I made him watch the worst fears of all his friends, not able to do anything about it. I was hoping to make him angry enough to come looking for me, but he surprised me. He managed to make it out of the stasis field and comfort the blue one. Vikna I believe her name was. This was all on his birthday too, so I crashed his party as well. If you're reading this right now, I'm sorry for all of this. I promise I'll help you if you free me from this collar. If you take off the helmet, I'll come back to the bunker and we can try to get the collar off. It's very simple and has 5 wires, you just need to find the right one.'

You look around the bunker, gun up as you look for the witch. You didn't believe it. You shouldn't have even started reading, as it could've been a trap. You look over to the door and rush to it, opening the door leading further into the bunker. You bring your DMR to bear and press the open button, the door unlatching before slowly opening itself. You're about to enter when you realize this could also be a trap. When the door fully opens, you walk behind it, seeing the hydraulic lines that could close the door. You get out your KABAR and begin slicing through it, hydraulic fluid spraying everywhere as the door begins to lose pressure. When it does, the door opens a bit more, the hydraulic piston bottoming out and holding the door open.

The door opens to a stairway, winding down into the depths of the silo bunker. You begin moving down the stairs, looking for a door. When you reach the bottom, you find a plain old door with a door handle, stacking up on the door and opening it. You round the corner, looking down the hall and seeing it was about 100 feet to the other side.

“US MARINES! MAKE YOURSELVES KNOWN!” You shout.

Something down the hallway begins making noise, a loud banging being heard as you run to meet it. When you reach the door, you see it's locked with a dead bolt. You unlock the dead bolt and open the door, seeing a young man holding his hands up.

“D-don't shoot! I'm only a tech-wait, you're actually a Marine!” He yells, smiling. “They found us!”

“I'm getting you out of here.” You tell him, watching towards the way you came. “Where are the others?”

“In these rooms. This is the cell block, just unlock all the doors and let us out. We're all airmen here, we can fight.” He tells you.

You cringe at that, doubting his claim immensely.

“When are you from?” You ask.

“I'm from South Dakot-wait, did you just ask when?” He asks.

“Yes.” You reply. “What is the last date you remember?”

“June 20th, 1969.” He says. “We were watching the moon landing, but the transmission cut off. We looked at our outdoor CCTV cams and we were in the middle of a jungle. We thought we were teleported by communists, but it's much worse.”

“I know. What about the missiles?” You ask. “Are they ready for launch?”

“I-I don't have authorization-”

“ARE THEY READY FOR LAUNCH?!” You ask loudly, not in the mood for old world protocols.

“Y-yes, uh, Staff Sergeant. We're ready to launch.” He says.

“Okay, we're initiating Broken Arrow protocol. This facility is to be destroyed and the surrounding area nuked into oblivion. I want everyone prepping those Titan 2s for launch. In the mean time, I have someone I need to talk with.”

2 hours later

You're sitting on a chair, facing the bunker door. A Multimeter in your hand and a pair of wire cutters in the other hand. The door to the bunker begins to open, your stone faced resolution unwavering. You weren't doing this out of the kindness of your heart...were you? When the door opens all the way, a purple feline enters, closing the door behind her before looking back at you. She had a large, blocky collar on, which you guessed was the collar she spoke of. You put a finger to your lips and get out your note cards.

'Stay calm. Do not speak. They can hear you.'

She nods and walks over to you, a relieved smile on her face. She then sees the helmet and frowns, probably saddened by your lack of trust. You bring the next card up.

'Sit down.'

She takes a seat and sits down. You walk over to her quietly with the wire cutters and Multimeter in hand, pulling up the next two card.

'Do not reply verbally or make any noise unless directed. I will ask questions that seem out of place.'

'They will be embarrassing and make you think I'm a creep, but this is all part of the plan.'

She nods and you pull up your next card.

'Do you moan when you masturbate?'

Her cheeks begin turning red, contrasting against her white and purple fur. She looks off to the side and nods. You pull up another card.

'Loudly?'

Her cheeks go even more red and she nods, looking off to the side. You take out a screwdriver and kneel down beside her. You pull out another card and present it to her.

'Moan as loudly as you can. I need to mask the noise of this screwdriver and wire cutting.'

She nods and begins to moan.

“A-ah, fuck! Ahn, ah!” She moans out, laying back in the chair.

You get to work, pulling the panels off the collar before finding the wire panel. There were indeed 5 wires, which you hook the Multimeter up to. You were looking for 1.5 volts or something similar. It would indicate a microphone. Low amperage would also indicate a microphone, so you begin looking through the wires. One reads 9 volts, with 3 amps being present. This must link to something important. The next wire, a red one, shows 1.5 volts and 0.01 amps. This is more than likely the microphone. You bring the wire cutters up as she keeps moaning, snipping the wire before backing away.

She looks over at you before stopping, the bomb not going off. You just cut the microphone.

“Alright, I think the microphone is-”

Before you can finish, she rushes up to you and pulls you into a hug, beginning to cry as she rubs your back.

“Get off me!” You yell, pushing her back. “Stay the hell back!”

She looks up at you with defeat in her eyes, sitting back down on the chair as she silences her sobs. You make your way back to the chair and get back to work, 9 volt wire again. It takes quite a bit of electricity to set off a bomb, but it doesn't take as much as the shock collar does. The next thing to defuse is the bomb. You begin looking around for another, more suitable wire, but you find none. It has to be the green one. You put your cutters up to it and snip the line, hitting the deck as soon as you did. When the bomb doesn't go off, you sigh in relief, getting off the ground and moving back to her. You cut the rest of the lines and the collar falls off, hitting the chair before the ground with a clatter.

“Never thought all that time being an electrician would come in handy.” You say to yourself, turning to face her. “Get up.”

She gets off the chair and you grab her snout, pulling her forward.

“If you ever do something like this again, I will kill you and feed you to feral coyotes. Do you understand?” You ask.

“Y-yes. I understand.” She tells you. “C-could you do one last thing for me?”

“You're in no position to ask for favors, missy.” You tell her.

“I-I promise it'll be worth your while.” She tells you.

She begins taking off her robes and you stop her.

“No more sex.” You tell her.

“I know exactly what you like though, I can give you the best orgasm you've ever had.” She tells you, continuing to undress.

“No.” You say firmly.

“Please?” She asks, pulling her panties off.

“Get dressed, we need to start moving everyone out of here.” You tell her.

Just as you say that, the door begins opening. You look over at her and she points you towards the other door. You rush to it and unsling your DMR, waiting for the door to open.

“Catao, we're here to check up on you.” A man says. “Where'd you find the dropship?”

“I-I stole it from The Tower when I was there. I needed a way out.” She tells him.

“How'd you fly it? You don't know how to fly.” He says before you hear something skitter across the floor. “Hey, what happened to your collar?”

“It broke, I need a new one.” She says.

“No, these wires look cut.” He says.

You round the corner and sling the rifle, drawing your pistol.

“US MARINES! ON YOUR KNEES!” You scream. “ON THE GROUND NOW!”

They're both shocked to see you come around the corner and comply, allowing you to close in on the unarmed men. You make it to them and strip them of any ear pieces and radios they have, tossing the gadgets into the corner. You hear footsteps coming from the open door and train the sights on it. Two men armed with pistols round the corner and you pull the trigger.

BANG BANG

Two shots into one. The other attempts to raise his weapon.

BANG BANG BANG

Three shots into the other.

“Catao, put these men under some sort of spell. I don't have any cuffs on me.” You tell her.

She nods and you rush over to the men at the door, dragging them inside. You close the heavy blast door by pressing the button, the heavy door closing slowly. You hear someone coming up the stairs and see an airman in front of you.

“Sergeant, we don't know the PAL codes! The man who had them was captured and taken off somewhere. We can't launch without those codes!” He yells.

“Take me to the control room. If I'm right, I think I might know them.” You tell him.

10 minutes later

You arrive at the control center, where the technicians are finishing off calculations. When you come in, they immediately sigh.

“Why'd you bring the Marine in here?” One asks.

“He says he may know the PAL code.” The one who brought you down replies.

They all give you a look and you walk over to the PAL controller, seeing a keypad and 2 keys. You see 8 number slots and nod, beginning the procedure.

“Alright, zero, zero, zero, zero...” You say, beginning to type in the zeroes. “Zero, zero, zero, zero.”

The machine gives you the go ahead and the entire room seems to freeze.

“That's all it was? 8 zeroes prevented the end of the world?” One asks.

“Yep. Is everything ready for launch?” You ask.

“All 6 Titan 2s are ready for launch Sergeant. We've programmed them to come up and come down, blanketing the entire area around the bunker in nuclear fire.” He tells you.

“Alright, someone get to that key over there.” You tell them, pointing to the second key. “Be ready to turn on my mark.”

“Alright, I'm ready.” One of the technicians says. “On your mark.”

“3...2...1...Mark.” You say, twisting the key.

You hold the key there until an alarm begins sounding, alerting you to the fact that the countdown to annihilation has started.

“Aright, everyone take what you can from the armory! We're loading the dropship with weapons and ammo! LET'S MOVE IT PEOPLE!” You shout. “WE'VE GOT 20 MINUTES BEFORE LAUNCH!”

15 minutes later

You make it up the stairs and hear moaning coming from the entrance room before turning the corner. You look over to the men just in time to see them blow a load onto the floor, moaning and groaning as Catao looks over them.

“What the fuck?” You ask.

“You said put them in a trance. I put them in a trance that nobody is going to question.” She tells you. “Nobody questions sex in the middle of it. They'll be here for a long time. Why is everyone bringing guns up here?”

“We're launching nuclear weapons to flatten the jungle. Any forces still in here are going to die.” You tell her. “Get moving, let them enjoy their last moments in, uh, whatever you call that.”

She nods and gets up off the floor, pulling her panties up as well. Guess they weren't the only ones having fun. You make it out of the bunker and leave the door open, intent on letting everything burn here. You'd take the jail time if you had to, but these people deserved to burn. When you get up the stairs, you see a massive half circle sticking out of the ground about 200 feet away. It's time to go.

“GET IN THE PELICAN!” You scream. “THAT FUEL IS GONNA POISON US!”

Once everyone was aboard, you board the dropship and close the door, sealing everyone inside.

“Is this like some sort of helicopter?” A man asks. “We'll never make it!”

“It's not a helicopter. We'll make it.” You tell him.

You rush to the front of the shuttle and open the double doors, sitting up in the pilots seat as you press the start button. As you do, you hear a terrible roar outside the cockpit. You turn the camera system on and see the silo belching fire, a massive Titan missile rising slowly from the silo.

“We have 7 minutes.” A man says. “You better be confident we can make it or we're going back in the bunker!”

“We'll make it.” You say, powering the thrusters on. “Strap in.”

You begin rising into the air, the thrusters now ready for emergency power. The air around you felt tense as you rose above the tree tops, beginning to transition into level flight. The aircraft begins accelerating, pushing you back in your seat as you watch the missiles rise into the air from their silos. You open up a radio interceptor and the coms are going crazy.

“Zulu 1 this is Delta 4-5 we're seeing rocket launches all across the jungle, how copy?” A message asks over the rest.

“Copy Delta 4-5, we see the missiles. We don't have anything to intercept them at this time. Don't even know what the payload is. Just hunker down and wait while we confirm if it's Catao.” Zulu 1 responds, going dark before responding. “Negative! Those aren't ours! We've lost all contact with Catao and the old human bunker. Retreat NOW! Trace amounts of radiation detected. Those are nuclear!”

You hit Mach 2 and see flashes behind you in the cameras. Coms went quiet after that, nobody saying a word as more nuclear warheads went off behind you.

“Bulldog 2-6, this is Victor Romeo, what the hell are you doing Jack?!” She asks.

“Uh, something stupid.” You say.

“Jack, do you read?!” She asks.

Your head flies up, breathing heavily. You look around and see you fell asleep at the IBM computer. Maybe it isn't such a good idea to nuke the jungle. Too risky considering your position. The radio on your shoulder was shouting at you.

“Jack, this is Victor Romeo, do you read me?!” She asks. “Where the hell did you run off to?!”

“Victor Romeo, Bulldog 2-6, thanks for remembering proper radio procedures. Now everyone knows my name.” You tell her. “I'm back in the jungle-”

“WHAT?!” She screams. “GET OUT OF THERE!”

“Not until I find Catao.” You tell her.

“You won't be needing to find me.” Catao says behind you.

You turn around and see the purple cat standing in front of you, holding the collar in her hand, wires hanging out.

“Victor Romeo, Bulldog 2-6, I've found Catao.” You tell her.

You get up, checking your head for the helmet and seeing it's not there. Catao smiles and points to it, probably having been crushed by one of the doors. You sigh and sit back down in the chair.

“What do you want?” You ask her.

“I want you to take me away from here. I'm tired of trapping people inside their minds. I've been going back through and undoing the damage I've done by bringing all the living men and women I've trapped back from the prisons inside their mind.” She tells you.

“You think that changes what you did to me? To us?” You ask, offended she'd ask for your help after what she did to you. “You made ARA cry. ARA never cries, EVER! She's not even supposed to feel sadness!”

“I understand you're upset-”

“UPSET?!” You scream. “UPSET DOESN'T EVEN FUCKING DESCRIBE IT!”

You get up from the chair and begin power walking over to her as her tail wraps around her body. Her pupils shrink as her ears fold back in fear. She thrusts out an arm, but you're too close and push it aside. You throw her back against the wall, knocking the wind out of her as you draw your pistol. She mind fucked you into releasing her, then starts making demands?

“You wanna see your brother again?” You ask. “Then you sit the fuck down and listen. I am not to be fucked with. I have killed more people than you've met in your life time and one more isn't going to phase me.”

You're lying of course, as killing her would definitely go against what you promised yourself so long ago. You never kill women and children if you can help it and it would fuck you up if you pulled the trigger. However, she seems to buy the bluff.

“O-okay, I understand.” She tells you.

“Do you know what kind of trauma you put all of us through?” You ask. “What you put me through?! You gave me something I can't have! I can never have a family or a happily ever after!”

“W-what?” She asks, perplexed. “I thought you'd like that.”

Vikna

Jack had forgotten to turn off his radio, having been transmitting this entire time.

“I didn't because I know Vikna would never go for that. You think I just magically knew it was all a fake? No. Women don't go for me, especially not Vikna. She couldn't care less if I died here and would move on like nothing happened. I'm nothing but dog shit on the bottom of her shoe.” He tells her. “Never in a million years would she ever go for me when she has smarter, hotter, and nicer men than me to choose from. Not to mention men of her species she can actually breed with.”

He has it all wrong. You didn't think of him like that, you're just prone to bouts of stress related anger, especially right now during this war. How could he not know? He's wrong about the species too, as hybrids are fairly common. If you really wanted to have kids with him, you'd take fertility medication and stabilizers to make the child look like you or him. Abominations have sprouted up as a result of humans mating with anthros, so stabilizers are a must.

“How do you know that?” This Catao person asks. “She could be in love with you right now.”

You tense up at that. She couldn't possibly know that. You had that thought buried beneath so many mental blocks that not even the most able of mind manipulators could see it. She had to be guessing.

“I'd be a burden. I'm not the most capable man and I'm certainly not very patient. I'd explode at random and drive her away. I just-”

“Bulldog 2-6, Victor Romeo, get back here with the prisoner ASAP.” You say, not able to take any more of it. “Right now.”

“Negative, Victor Romeo-”

“NOW!” You scream, not in the mood for noncompliance.

“Copy, securing the package.” He says, a click being heard. “Package secure, extracting.”

The radio goes silent and you sit back in the chair you were sitting in. He ran back off into the jungle to go kill this woman, but she must've done something to convince him otherwise. When he left, you were too weak to chase him, as were the rest of your friends. When he got back here, you were going to scold him. Then, you were going to tell him how you feel. He needs to know you don't hate him any more. He needs to know you love him.

3 hours later

He lands at the shuttle bay, the spacecraft wobbling a bit as it hovers over the docking rail. When it clamps to the rail, the engines shut down automatically and the shuttle begins lowering to the ground. When it reaches the ground, the rear hatch opens, Jack falling onto the ground. You rush over to the Zelo dropship and attempt to pick him up, but he pushes you away. You then see why, as he vomits all over the floor. A purple cat exits the cockpit too, staring straight ahead as she leans against the side of the cargo bay.

“Stay out of the jungle.” He says before passing out.


	10. Chapter 9: Terror

2 more hours later

Jack is back in the hospital, where he seems to belong. He had claw marks all up and down his back and chest, but none of his clothing or gear was torn. The purple cat was very awkward around all of you, avoiding you when she could and only coming to see Jack when everyone else had gone. The woman was very quiet and skittish, talking to nobody since she arrived. It's almost as if she was too scared to speak. What exactly did they see out there? You make your way into the hospital room and see Jack beginning to wake, looking around the room curiously. The purple cat gets up to leave, but he stops her.

“Where the hell do you think you're running off to?” He asks angrily. “Tell her what you did to them.”

The purple cat looks up at you awkwardly, quaking in her shoes. Her tail was wrapped around her defensively as she gave you a less than innocent smile.

“H-hi.” She says. “I'm Catao.”

“You sound familiar Catao.” You tell her suspiciously.

“Tell her what you did!” He yells angrily. “Tell her what you made her see!”

“Jack, I-”

“TELL HER!” He screams, pointing at her. “If I have to get up from this hospital bed I'll put you in it! Tell her everything!”

“I...well...you remember when you were working in that office building?” She asks. “I was the one who, well, uh, put you in there.”

You feel something physically snap inside you, making a sickening crack that Jack seems to hear as well. You're so dumbfounded that he actually found the woman who caused the torment, the years of suffering, the aging, even the grey hairs. Most importantly the grey hairs. You can't think of anything to say, just walking towards her as she looks down at you in fright. When she's backed against the wall, you stand up on your toes, your tail giving you balance as you look her in the eye. The only thing you can think to say is...

“Why?” You ask.

She stares at you in shock. She was expecting you to kill her, yet you didn't.

“I-I didn't want to.” She says frightfully. “They made me do it. I was kept in that bunker with all the spooky noises, I didn't know what else to do. I tried to give you all everything you wanted and make your last moments pleasant, but Jack didn't believe it. He didn't believe you and him could ever be a thing.”

“You were forced?” You ask.

“I'm sorry.” She says. “They told me that I needed to trap you for good. I had a bomb collar on me and couldn't say no. I have a little brother, I just wanted him to go outside every once and a while. I didn't want to use my powers for this, I just wanted people to go outside again, enjoy the little things in life.”

You don't know what to say. You know the feeling of people telling you to do something against your will. The feeling of being forced into something. Still, she made you see things, do things...taste things. Just for some glimmer of hope that people still wanted you, but that feeling of helplessness...

“Pass your judgment.” Jack tells you. “I don't care what it is. I've made my peace with her. Whatever you decide, I'm behind you all the way.”

Catao looks away from Jack and back to you, her head now hanging low.

“I don't know what else I can say. I'm sorry. I was only following orders.” She says.

“Following orders...” You repeat, your ears going flat.

You've said the same thing to many different families who've lost a child, brother, or sister to little skirmishes. You never really thought much of their sacrifices outside of those times. If you did, you'd never make it back out of that hole. You were never forgiven, and you never expected it, but you were just handed an opportunity to give someone something you've never been given yourself. Forgiveness.

“I forgive you.” You say with a smile.

“W-what?” She asks, shocked.

“I said, I forgive you.” You tell her.

“Thank you!” She says, pulling you into a hug. “I promise, I'll repay my debt and help you any way I can!”

“Easy now.” You say, pushing her back. “Go outside and wait. I need to talk with Jack real quick.”

She nods and walks past you, walking past the double doors before turning the corner. You look back at Jack and see he's smiling proudly.

“I was hoping you'd say that.” He tells you. “Now I don't have to do unspeakable things to her.”

“I need to tell you something.” You tell him, putting a hand on his. “First, I need to ask you something.”

“Sure, what is it?” He asks.

“I know you've had a girlfriend before, but are you still with Tilya?” You ask.

“No, why?” He asks.

“Well, I heard what you said on the radio about me.” You tell him.

“Uh...shit.” He says, laying back in the bed.

“It's fine. I'm not mad, just curious.” You tell him. “Now for the...hard part.”

“Hard part?” He asks.

“You know how I've been trying to find a boy friend, right?” You ask in return.

“Yeah.” He replies. “How's that going?”

“Poorly. Nobody understands me or my struggles, the flashbacks, the stress, the crying...” You struggle to say. “Nobody knows what to do with me. They always run away when I tell them about my problems, never giving me a chance to explain myself. Even others who are in the Katrician Navy don't understand the pain I go through.”

“You just gotta keep looking.” He says.

“No!” You yell. “I'm not going to keep looking past the one person who understands me and cares for me the way I want to be cared for. You told me that I deserved to be loved and cared for, right?”

“Right.” He says.

“Well, I want you to care for me! I want you to love me, because I love YOU!” You tell him.

“Vikna...”

“Stop trying to say no! I'm sick of you hovering and playing with my emotions, never being direct when I KNOW you feel the same way.” You keep saying. “Why do you always push us away? Push ME away?”

“Because, I'm afraid that if I get close to you, you'll die, or hate me when I say something stupid!” He yells back. “I know I'll mess up and say something rude or do something dumb, or I'll get mad and yell at you. I couldn't do that to you Vikna. I couldn't do that to myself.”

You don't know what to say. He didn't say he didn't love you back, but he didn't confirm it either.

“There are plenty of people out there who are just like me without all the problems. You could have your perfect and unbroken man who listens to everything you say. He'd laugh at all your jokes, buy you nice things, talk to you when you needed it, and listen when you talked.” He tells you. “I don't think I can do all of that.”

“I've been putting all of my spare time into looking for a man!” You yell. “ALL OF IT! I have looked DAY AND NIGHT for a man like you and find NOTHING! All of the soldiers, all of the boys, all of the men, none of them understand me! Even the women don't understand me!”

“You dated women?” He asks.

“It was a last resort!” You yell back, embarrassed. “I thought I just didn't like men and I might want a woman, but women were even less interesting. All of the ones I met were just men with...lady parts, or really submissive women.”

“You couldn't find anyone?” You ask.

“NO!” You scream, agitated that he would even ask that question. “It's like you're not listening!”

He lowers his head before laying back, sighing shakily. He squeezes his hands into a fist and looks back up at you.

“Vikna, if I told you I didn't want this, I'd be lying to you and myself.” He says. “You're so cute and sweet when we're alone and I've always been too scared to ask you. I...I'm a bit scared to say it even now, but I...love you too.”

You pull yourself towards him and onto the bed, earning a pained groan from him as you grab his back. You rub your face against his, shedding the angry and mean Vikna he knows and replacing it with who you really are. He's earned your trust by now. You peck his cheek with a kiss and get off of him, laying next to him in the hospital bed, thanking the woman who made you for your small frame.

“What about the jungle?” He asks.

“Just enjoy the moment.” You tell him. “Please?”

He nods, laying his head back before pulling you in closer. You both lay there, holding each other as you begin to purr contently. Before you know it, he's fallen back asleep. You know you love him, but how much you love him is still up for debate. A few dates might help you get to know him better, as he probably has a lot to talk about. Then again, he really seems uncomfortable talking about war anymore, thanks to all of you complaining about him in private. You pull him closer to you and begin to purr a bit more gently, smiling as you too begin to fall asleep.

Jack

The next day

You wake up with a start, feeling the deep cuts on your back as you cringe from the pain.

“You're finally awake.” Fluff says, mild discontentment in his voice. “We need to talk, now.”

You nod and are about to get up off the bed when you feel Vikna grab your arm.

“Come back, okay?” She asks.

You nod, looking back at Fluff. He's unhappy about something. You get out of bed and Vikna covers herself up, smiling gently. It makes your heart melt when you see it, having waited for her to open herself up. When you walk into the hallway, he slams a hand into your shoulder, pinning you to the wall.

“What the hell did you bring into my world?” He asks.

“W-what?” You ask, confused.

“That monster, what is it?” He asks.

“I don't know man, it was locked inside that bunker I found Catao in.” You say, trying to move his hand.

“It's killing people Jack. It found its way into a city and is killing people.” He says angrily.

“I tried-”

“You did NOTHING!” He yells, feeling a pistol making its way near your chest.

Your training kicks in, putting your arms up in submission.

“I-I'm sorry man.” You say, mentally preparing yourself.

He takes his arm off you and begins pointing at you.

“Shut the fuck up!” He yells.

You grit your teeth, thrusting your left hand into his wrist as you push the pistol away from your body. You twist out of the way the weapon as he fires off a shot. It's too late, as you use your right hand to grip the pistol. You push it to the right so it's facing him and use your elbow to push him back with all your might. He's thrown back against the wall as you chamber a round, backing away to get some distance in between him and you.

“GET ON THE GROUND!” You scream on auto pilot. “GET ON THE FUCKING GROUND!”

He does as he's told, as you begin drawing attention from the hospital staff. Your finger is on the trigger, ready to pull it at a moments notice.

“Don't you ever pull a gun on me! EVER!” You shout. “The fuck is wrong with you?!”

“I-it almost got me.” He says, his hands going on top of his head. “Its teeth are huge and it almost got me! They look like steak knives! I'm fucking scared!”

“Steak knives?” You ask, lowering the weapon. “Did it have antlers or horns?”

“Neither, it was reptilian, but had no features I recognized!” He tells you.

“Get the fuck off the ground.” You tell him, walking up to him and hoisting him up. “Where's this crybaby shit coming from anyways?”

“I-I'm being stalked by something.” He tells you.

“Really? Where?” You ask, looking around.

“N-not here.” He says. “The real world. I-I think it's here right now.”

“I'll be back.” You tell him, rushing off.

30 minutes later

You have a rifle strapped to your back and a pistol in your holster. Your grandfather's magic sword is underneath the rifle, sitting comfortably in its scabbard. You didn't bother with body armor, if it gets close, you're dead anyways. Fluff is sitting there, flabbergasted by your appearance.

“What are you doing?” He asks.

“Getting rid of this spook.” You tell him. “Open a portal to your place.”

“W-what?” He asks, confused. “A-are you sure? I don't really know if I should-”

“You're my ticket back home. I'm not letting you die.” You tell him. “I don't care if you're a slob, sleeping naked, or have terrible wallpaper, I'm killing that fucking thing and you're gonna like it.”

“R-right.” He says with a smile. “Opening one now.”

He taps a couple of buttons on a holographic keypad, bringing up a display before tapping a button. A swirling vortex appears before you until it opens to a darkened room. You step through and see a woman sitting on a bed, covering herself with a blanket. She had blonde hair that appeared to be bleached and looked to be around 30 or so. She looks over at you and nearly scares herself to death.

“Jesus!” She yells. “Give me a little warning, will ya?”

“Wait, you're a chick?” You ask, having never seen her in real life.

“Can we talk about this later?” She asks, looking over to the window. “We've got bigger problems right now than me being a chick.”

You nod and look at the computer by her bed, 3 monitors adorning the rather clean desk and a drawing tablet sitting front and center. She had a few print outs of her artwork on the wall, but it wasn't anything explicit. They were just some of the high quality Patreon drawings she did back in the day. There was also some other stuff, but you couldn't really make out what it was. You look over at the closed curtain and walk over to it, listening outside for something. Then, you hear a loud thud on the side of the room, followed by cackling. This all was very familiar to you. This was definitely a fleshgait.

“Is anyone outside?” You ask. “Your girlfriend, family members, friends?”

“N-no.” She replies. “My girlfriend went home a few days ago to pack her things.”

“Good, they would've already been dead by now.” You tell her, a look of fear crossing her face. “Did you buy that gun I told you to buy?”

“Up until, like, five months ago, you were just some random fan who happened to write about my characters. I wasn't going to listen to the advice of a guy I didn't know on the internet. How was I supposed to know there was something out of a horror film lurking around my house?” She asks in reply. “If we live to see tomorrow, I'll go out and buy one. Something really big.”

“You live in the middle of the woods, alone. Do you think not having any kind of protection is a good idea?” You ask, hearing a bang on the wall again, causing you to turn toward the sound. “SHUT THE FUCK UP AND WAIT YOUR TURN!”

She looks a bit frightened by your outburst and you sigh.

“Sorry, I'm still a bit wired from nearly dying.” You tell her, setting your rifle down, taking your sword out of its scabbard and sticking the tip against your rifle. “How long has this been going on now?”

“About 4 days now.” She replies. “Jesus, I'm not usually scared like this, but it feels so...primal. It's unreal.”

“They use fear to freeze their prey in place.” You tell her, the magic finishing its magic. “Play mind games to soften them up. The one in your world is probably scared, lashing out and breaking all the rules. The problem will sort itself out when it kills too many. This one however...”

A short and precise screech comes from the forest and you pick up your rifle again, affixing your bayonet.

“It's being careful.” You finish, drawing your 1911 and setting it on the bed. “Take this, shoot anything that comes near the window.”

You put your hands up to the curtain and take a deep breath.

“Wait! DON'T!” She yells.

You throw the curtain open and nothing's there. You look back at him and bring your rifle up, moving towards the door.

“Don't take your eye off that window!” You yell. “Stay inside and don't let anyone in unless I tell you something only I would know!”

Fluff

You watch Jack leave, holding his pistol in your hand as you watch the window. Screeches emit from outside as you watch the window he told you to.

“Contact!” Is all Jack says before gun fire can be heard outside your house.

Loud screeching and cackling can be heard as the sound of branches breaking loudly explode over the gun fire. Jack is screaming like a mad man by now, shouting all sorts of obscenities and insults at the monster that had terrorized you for so long. Wasn't he afraid? How could he go through the trouble of helping you after you pointed a gun at him. Not even his fursona, his actual form! You threatened to kill his actual form because you were so afraid of this thing. Yet, he finds it in his heart to face it head on.

You're snapped out of your train of thought when a loud screech and cackle are heard outside the window, not presenting any visuals to accompany the sounds. You hear a loud snap and thud, screeching and screaming accompanying it. You point the gun at the window and keep it there, feeling it begin to shake as you grip it tight.

“heee won't save yoou~” A voice says. “I am your salvaaaation~”

You try to say something witty to it, but all that comes out is a squeak. It cackles at that and you see a claw scratch across your window. The cut was deep, almost coming through the pane of glass as the claw pulls back, making you shiver at the sound it had made.

“Fluff, let me in.” Jack says outside.

You cock your head, looking towards the door.

“Fluff, let me in.” He repeats, the voice coming from your window. “Let me in.”

“Go around.” You say.

“Fluff, let me in.” He says, pointing at the window. “In.”

You're about to get up when he repeats himself again.

“Fluff, let me in.” He says.

Then, it hits you. It's the exact same line, said in the exact same way, at the exact same pitch. You feel a shiver go down your spine as you realize this thing was imitating him.

“Fluff, let me in.” It says again.

“N-no!” You yell.

“Fluff, let me in!” It says, the pitch staying the same as the volume just seems to increase. “Contact!”

Just as it pulls its arm back, you see a massive knife stabbed through its chest, causing it to look down curiously. Once it realizes it's been impaled, the thing screeches in agony, your window shattering as a loud bang comes from the knife. A brand new hole adorned the thing as it shifted back into its real form, screeching as the real Jack fought to keep it at bay. He's shouting profanities and what sounded like a prayer at the same time, the latter you couldn't even understand as the pistol in your hand begins to glow.

“SHOOT THE FUCKING GUN!” He screams. “KILL IT WHILE IT'S WEAK!”

You bring your shaky hands to bear, aiming the gun at the beast as you grit your teeth. You pull the trigger.

BANG

You pull it again.

BANG

You keep pulling it.

BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG click

You hear your ears begin to ring as the beast slumps into your window, turning to dust as it does. Jack takes the bayonet off his gun and wipes it on his pant leg, shoving the knife into his scabbard.

“Nice shot.” He says, climbing through the broken window.

You drop the gun on your bed, looking down at your shaking hands. You just killed something. It tried to impersonate Jack and you killed it. Your head begins feeling a bit light as you put a hand up to it.

“Fluff?” Jack asks, his voice getting more distant. “Fluff!”

Jack

You watch Fluff pass out, her head hitting the pillow she had on his bed. Immediately, you rush over to her side, checking her pulse and breathing. Both were normal, although a bit slow. This puts you at ease, as she hadn't died from shock or a heart attack.

“Jack!” Vikna yells, startling you.

“Jesus!” You yell, tensing up as you turn towards her.

Before you can finish, she pulls you into a hug, holding you tight as you look down, confused.

“I-I heard gun shots and tried to see what happened, but Nytro stopped-wait, who's that?” She asks, pointing to the man on the bed.

You smirk, having been saving this line for this exact moment.

“Meet your maker.” You tell her. “This is Fluff, the...chick who made you.”

She looks up at you in shock, looking back down at the sleeping woman before looking back up at you.

“Did you kill her?!” She asks loudly.

“Shh!” You say, shushing her. “She's asleep.”

She then looks over to the broken window, cocking her head as she looks at the ash and blood staining the broken glass. She then looks you over, seeing the same black goop on you.

“What happened?” She asks.

“I killed a monster.” You reply. “One of those things from the highway.”

“O-oh.” She says, looking back at the window. “How?”

“I stabbed and shot it.” You reply.

“So, she made me?” She asks. “That's, uh, FluffKevlar?”

“Yeah.” You reply. “That's her.”

“She's not bad looking at all. Kind of cute actually.” She says with a smile.

“I'm not emotionally equipped to handle this.” You tell her. “I just realized I'm a fucking idiot because I never asked anything about her.”

“What's her real name?” Vikna asks.

“Nobody ever tells me anything.” You reply. “I just call him, er, her Fluff.”

She chuckles at that and begins looking around the room, seeing pictures drawn of all her friends. They were just doing idle and mildly not safe for work things, but she looked a bit creeped out by it. She grabs your arm gently and you rub her shoulder, hoping to comfort her.

“Well, I think she does an excellent job capturing my rear, don't you sweetie?” Ayn asks.

“W-what are you doing here?!” Vikna asks, throwing your arm away.

You turn around and see Ayn has her staff with her, a new line attached to it and tied around her wrist. She was looking up at the pictures that lined Fluff's bedroom/office, smiling as her own eyes rest upon the artwork of her.

“I came to help fight that monster.” She says. “Looks like you handled it pretty well though.”

Guess you did. Most of the fight was just an adrenaline rush, looking into the dark and locating the beast through sound. You feel bad for doing so, but you used Fluff as bait, hoping this beast would play by the rules. Fortunately, it did, allowing you to sneak up on it while it was preying on Fluff. You felt terrible for breaking her window, but it couldn't be helped if you both wanted to survive. The only thing you didn't understand is why it ran from you. They never run, ever. Did something happen to you back in his world?

You're brought out of your chain of thought as buzzing emits from where the broken glass was. You look over to see Vikna running some kind of tool over it, reforming the shattered glass into a solid window before your eyes. Vikna nods, putting the tool back in her pocket before looking back at you.

“I'm pretty sure those are illegal without a permit sweetie.” Ayn tells her.

“Good thing I have one in the form of my rank.” Vikna replies.

You look back to where the portal was and see it had closed now, which made you worry for a second. Then you remember Fluff has a direct connection to her...fursona. You shudder at the mention of it, even in your thoughts, the word makes you a bit uncomfortable. The two girls don't even notice the portal being gone, which surprises you. If anything, you thought Vikna would be freaking out that she couldn't get back home, but she seems much more interested in Ayn and the pictures on the wall.

“I don't know how to feel about all this.” Vikna says, looking at a picture of her. “I feel both proud and weirded out by this.”

“Well, she does draw porn for a living.” Ayn says. “She has to make money somehow.”

You walk past Ayn and exit the door to her living area, a large flat screen TV and game consoles sitting on a table in front of a couch. She had a coffee table in between said couch and TV, a cup of untouched coffee sitting on it in a Hard Rock Cafe mug. When you looked up at the walls, you saw a couple of paintings and some pictures of people you didn't recognize. It was very strange to be walking around your secretive friend's house without her being awake to guide you, almost as if you shouldn't be doing it. However, you're not sitting in her room until he wakes up and you're definitely not sleeping in the same room as her, let alone the same bed. When you sit down on the middle of the couch, you look down at yourself, seeing how bloody you were.

“Higgins, get that man on the medevac!” A voice shouts out to you.

You look around and see nobody around you. It's just the living room. At least, it was until Vikna exited Fluff's bedroom.

“Ayn is sleeping with god. I never thought I'd get to say that.” Vikna tells you.

“Yeah, guess it is kind of odd.” You tell her.

“Where'd the portal go?” Vikna asks. “I saw it was gone, but I don't really feel panicked like I thought I would be.”

“I think Fluff closed it from the other side. Guess I was taking too long and she...he was getting paranoid.” You tell her. “Guess the mind altering effects came through both sides of the portal. As for you not being worried, I have no idea.”

She nods, laying her head down on your shoulder. You crack a smile at this, putting an arm around her as you lay your head back against the couch, sleep coming soon after.

7 hours later

You wake up slowly, feeling parts of your body regain feeling as the stiffness becomes apparent throughout your limbs. Your arms felt like they were stuck inside a vice, your legs not wanting to move either. However, this was dwarfed by the immense pain you felt in your head, feeling like the entire world rested on your forehead. The only saving grace was the softness you felt in your arms, gently purring as you grasp at it. You open your eyes and see Vikna cuddled up on top of you, still asleep as you stroke her soft fur. The sound of a door opening makes you turn towards it, seeing Ayn exit the room.

“No fun allowed.” She says with a smirk, looking back into the room. “Just like Jack.”

“W-well I have a girl friend.” She says. “No hard feelings?”

“I understand Habibi'ti.” She replies. “Maybe next time~.”

She closes the door and looks over to see Vikna cuddling with you, immediately smiling a giddy smile. You put a finger to your mouth and she lets out a suppressed “d'aw” before sitting down on a chair.

“Vikna, it's time to wake up.” You tell her. “I gotta make some breakfast.”

She just whines and grasps at you tight, not wanting you to leave. You oblige, holding her close as you feel Ayn watching. The door opens and you see Fluff stretch in the doorway, scratching her back before looking over at you. She cocks her head as Vikna continues to purr, her tail happily flicking from side to side. You smile awkwardly, as if this was wrong for you to do. She just giggles silently and moves over to the kitchen, disappearing inside it as you continue to cuddle with Vikna. She seems so small and vulnerable, just like many other girls you've met.

“I hope this doesn't make things weird between us.” Fluff says, looking off to the side. “You're not going to start harassing me and be homophobic, right? We're still going to be friends?”

“Nah, it's fine. I don't really care either way. We'll still be friends if you don't mind.” You reply. “I only wish you told me sooner.”

“I didn't tell you because you struck me as the kind of guy who tips his fedora at ladies.” She says. “No offense.”

“Ma'am, I'm a cold blooded killing machine. I don't tip fedoras, I tip bodies into graves.” You say with a smile. “Still calling you a dude though. I'm not going to call you a she in your universe.”

“Thanks Jack, very cool.” She tells you with an eye roll. “We've got ramen, oatmeal, cereal, and eggs. What do you all want?”

“Whatever is easier to make.” You tell her. “What about you Vikna?”

“Eggs.” She says. “I like them.”

“I'd also like some eggs.” Ayn says.

This seems to wake Vikna up all the way, her pushing you away as she clears her throat. She straightens her hair and sits up straight, glancing back at you and Ayn as she straightens herself out.

“I don't know what came over me. It must be that Catao person again.” She says before lowering her voice. “I'll make it up to you later, sorry.”

You nod and get up off the couch, stretching your aching muscles.

“Did I wing you with a round?” You ask Fluff. “I tried to keep the rifle pointed away from you.”

“Nah, you're fine. Did I hit you with anything?” She asks, looking back from the pan she was heating up.

“No, 45 is a pretty slow cartridge, it probably just stopped inside the thing.” You tell her. “Sorry about the window by the way. Vikna fixed it up with some space magic, so it's fine.”

“It's a standard crime scene repair tool. Not magic.” Vikna corrects. “Your window is as good as new.”

“That thing, is it still haunting your, uh, furry self?” You ask her.

“Yeah, it's still roaming around a city by the jungle. It stopped killing, but the entire city and jungle are on lock down.” She says. “What are you going to do?”

“Can you teleport me to an armory?” You ask. “A Marine Corps armory. I have some favors to call in.”

“Uh, sure.” She says. “I'll send you on your way immediately if you want to skip breakfast.”

“That'd be great.” You tell her. “Play nice with god, Vikna.”

“Seriously, why do you have to call me that?” She asks, a portal opening up.

You chuckle and walk through the portal, stepping back into hospital area.

2 hours later

You step into the armory, loaded down with gear as you walk up to the armorer. He looks up lazily before looking back down, tensing up as he looks back up again.

“Haigs?” He asks.

“I have a favor to ask you Doug.” You tell him. “There's some serious other worldly shit going on where I'm at and I need my baby back.”

“Haigs, you know I can't do that.” He tells you.

“I'm not asking this as a Marine, I'm asking this as a friend.” You tell him.

“Jack...”

“If you don't, I'll just teleport in and take it.” You tell him. “Don't make me steal my own weapon back.”

He sighs, getting up from his desk and walking into the back. You hear some clacking and rattling as the unmistakable FN action is racked back and allowed to run forward. There's the sound of ammunition being loaded into some boxes as well before he returns to the desk, 240L and a couple ammo cans in hand. You raises the gate and slides it underneath, handing you the ammo to you as well. You look inside both of the cans and see he hooked you up with M81 tracers and M61 AP belts. He also gave you some brand new barrels that still had the covers on them.

“I'll return them when I'm done.” You tell him. “On my life.”

“You said that about the Bravo.” He tells you with a disapproving glare.

“I replaced it with something better.” You tell him. “I promise I'll return this weapon when I'm done using it.”

“Just make sure to take this as well.” He says, handing you a maintenance kit for it. “Clean her up good, she needs a good scrub.”

“Thanks Doug. I'll be right back.” You tell him.

5 hours of cleaning and 3d printing later

You come back to the armory, the 240 and ammunition in hand.

“Doug, I brought her back, just like I said.” You tell him, setting the original 240 on the desk. “I even kept the ammo too.”

He looks down at it curiously, rubbing his hands over it and checking the freshly oiled action and cover. Doug looks down the barrel and function checks the weapon, seeing everything in working order. He also checks the belts, which were all still there.

“Why did you need this again?” He asks.

“I made a copy.” You tell him. “I also made some belts too. Thanks for the help.”

“If I'd known you were going to do that, I would've let you take the thing without a fuss. You need to start telling people what's going on.” He says.

“If I told you I was using it to fight a war against space furry terrorists who hate technology, you would've sicked the MPs on me.” You tell him. “If I live through this, I'm buying you a beer.”

He cocks his head before shrugging, watching you walk back through the portal. As you step through, you nearly fall to the ground from the amount of spaghetti in your pockets. That was so awkward and forced that you kind of don't want to go back. You sit down on your couch with bird Fluff at your side, looking over the weapon, the 3000 rounds of ammunition, and all the spare barrels for it. Took a while to scan and print, but it was well worth the effort to have your baby back.

“Daddy's missed you.” You say, picking the weapon off the table and cradling it.

“Dude, you know that's a gun, right?” He asks.

“Yeah, and?” You ask.

“Well...never mind. I don't have any room to talk.” He says.

You continue to cradle your MG, cherishing it as you rub the slightly rough finish of a brand new barrel. The charging handle was wonderfully grooved and felt fresh, the feed cover being polished and coated with anti rust. The top cover was brand new and rust free, while the titanium receiver was free of any marks or scratches. The stock had no markings on it, as opposed to the 12 you had on the stock of your Bravo. The pistol grip and trigger both felt brand new and crisp, just like when you “found” the Lima. It was perfect, you couldn't ask for a better gun. You look up from your gun and see Vikna looking down on you with a disapproving look.

“Are you molesting your weapon?” She asks.

“Yes ma'am. She likes it.” You reply.

Vikna just shakes her head and sits between you and Fluff, so you set your weapon down on the floor stock first. She looks at all the ammo and barrels laid out on the table, seeing some of them hanging out of your backpack. She looks back at you and shakes her head, but you're not having any of it.

“Vikna, I...”

“Don't Vikna me. Please, just stay here and let someone else handle it.” She tells you. “Please, stop doing this to me, to us.”

“I promised Fluff that I-”

“No, I'll send Loki to deal with it.” He says. “Sorry about pointing that gun at you by the way. I hadn't slept in almost 3 days and I was starting to lose my mind. You've done more than enough. Go get some, uh, RnR.”

You nod, grabbing the massive weapon off the floor and getting up from the space age couch. You hoist the gun over your shoulder and grab your backpack as well.

“What are you doing?!” Vikna asks. “He told you to rest and relax!”

“I haven't fired this weapon in 2 years.” You tell her.

“That doesn't matter!” She yells. “You don't need to go off and shoot something every moment you're awake! It's like you're obsessed!”

“If you quit bitching, I'll let you shoot it.” You tell her with a smile.

She opens her mouth to say something, but immediately closes it as she considers it. You grab an extra barrel and she looks back at you.

“I go first.” She tells you.

2 hours later

You finish making sure the gun is loaded, pushing the charging handle forward and locking it in place. Vikna is laying on the floor, some sort of weird earphones over her ears as you wear regular human ear protection. She lines herself up with the sight and you put the weapon in the correct position on her shoulder. Her tail is swishing from side to side anxiously, waiting for you to give the okay to fire.

“Okay, you're going to fire in short, controlled bursts. 2 or 3 rounds to begin with, and when you get more comfortable 4 to 5 round bursts.” You tell her. “Die motherfucker die is a good gauge for five rounds. If you can pop that sentence off under your breath while firing, you've probably fired 4 or 5 rounds.”

“Got it.” Vikna says.

“Range is hot!” You yell. “Fire when ready.”

She lets off a burst of two rounds and is surprised by the recoil, squealing a bit before it turns into an excited laugh. She lets off another burst and continues to laugh, enjoying every second of it. You watch the tracers impact the target with an impressively tight group for a new 240 shooter. Eventually she begins firing 5 round bursts, laughing the entire time. You smile at her happiness, watching the target getting torn to shreds by your weapon. Then, you see someone walking across the firing line. It's a man!

“CEASE FIRE!” You scream. “CEASE FIRE!”

Vikna immediately stops firing as you look down at her.

“What?!” She asks in a panic. “Did I do something wrong?!”

You look back and see a man standing in front of you in torn up MARPAT. He's smiling gently as he stares at, no, stares past you. When you blink, he's gone. You look down at Vikna and she's looking up at you with worry in her eyes. She had about 3 rounds left in the belt.

“Fire the rest off.” You tell her. “Thought I saw something. You're doing great.”

She fires the rest off and you lift her face away from the weapon, causing her to blush as you clear the weapon for another belt. You grab your glove, putting it on as you raise the weapon onto the range table. You grab a new belt and stick it inside the weapon, checking the feed pawl before slapping the cover back in place. You fold the bipod with a squeeze and slap, handing the weapon to Vikna. She hefts the relatively heavy weapon up to her hip, not sure of what to do with it.

“Uh, what do I do with this?” She asks.

“Shoot it.” You tell her, putting a hand on her back. “It's more fun when you shoot it from the hip.”

“I don't know if I can do this. It's way too heavy.” She tells you.

“Well, if you don't want to, I can always do it.” You tell her.

“Sure, I already got to shoot some ammo off.” She tells you. “Range Officer, new target.”

A new target pops up and you take the weapon from her arms, keeping it pointing downrange as you take her place. You wrap the belt around your left arm, helping the weapon stay fed while gravity attempts to stop the weapon from pulling the belt up. You prepare yourself for the recoil, pointing yourself at the target and pulling the trigger.

RATATATATATAT

The shots go all over the place, nearly going into the ceiling as you keep the weapon under control. You let off another burst, the weapon firing wildly as you crack a smile. Vikna is watching you man handle your baby, smiling wide as she watches you fire the big gun. Time to give her a show. You pull the trigger and the weapon begins firing, not letting off the trigger as you walk the rounds on target. When the tracers impact the target, it begins to flop around, bullets hitting the unweighted paper substitute. As you continue to fire, you begin to see flashes, memories of past missions and operations.

Missions in Afghanistan, villages, people, combatants, all of it. You're mowing down men crossing the street with AKs and RPGs, boys attempting to put a round on target, older men pointing at you with pistols. You begin shouting obscenities, asking why they would do this to you.

“Jack!” Vikna screams.

You look down at yourself and see the weapon shaking violently, rattling itself apart. There's no ammunition left and the barrel is steaming, the smoke making a noticeable zigzag in the air as your eyes go wide. You set yourself on the ground, changing the barrel immediately by pressing the release and slapping the carry handle left. You set the steaming barrel on the floor and grab the new barrel, sliding it on before securing it with a slap of the carry handle. The ratchet on the release makes a zip-tie sounding series of clicks before it's locked in place, completing the surprisingly automatic change from memory alone. You look back up at her and get up, realizing you just fucked up.

“W-what happened?” You ask.

“You just started firing belt after belt at the target.” She tells you. “You started making dents in the back stop.”

You look towards the backstop and see many little dots from where the AP ammo impacted. You then look down in your bag and see you have only one belt left.

“I-I'm sorry, I ruined the moment, didn't I?” You say, looking down at the floor. “I just had an attack.”

“No, it's fine.” She tells you. “I have a better idea for some RnR.”

You nod, picking your gun up off the floor by the carry handle.

1 hour later

You're inside of what you can only describe as a fancy set of grey, white, blue, and black clothing. It had a magnetic strip running down the middle, which was apparently a fancy version of a zipper here. Vikna was in some sort of dress robes, showing a bit more of her legs and chest than you've ever really seen from her.

“How do I look?” She asks.

“Great.” You tell her. “What's the getup for though?”

“I planned out a date for us to get to know each other better. You know, see if we're really compatible.” She says with a smile. “It's not the most expensive place in the city, but I think it'll do for our little chat.”

“Oh.” You say, shifting around on your feet. “Uh, that's nice.”

“What? Is something wrong?” She asks, her ears flicking back.

“I've just never been on a date before. I don't know what to do or say.” You reply. “Is there some sort of special procedure or way I should talk?”

“Oh, no, nothing like that.” She replies, smiling gently. “I'll guide you through it.”

“Thanks.” You say, feeling like an awkward retard for asking. “Let's go.”

1 hour later

You walk inside the establishment, seeing a drone float over your head with food on top of it. The inside looked like some sort of alien rip off of olive garden. It was as if they were told what an olive garden was and told to make something of it. A fancily dressed fox looks over to Vikna and you with indifference, bowing a bit before speaking.

“Hello, well come to the grape vine.” He tells you. “Reservation for Vikna and, uh, Yackson?”

You nod, tensing slightly at the pronunciation.

“I see, come with me.” He tells you.

You follow the fox, Vikna grabbing your arm and hooking it around hers. You look down and see her giving you a look, but you don't know what it means. However, her cute face and confidence made you more confident about this whole thing. When you make it to the table, you offer Vikna a chair, which she takes. At least that's still the polite thing to do here. You sit down opposite to her, seeing a holographic menu pop up. Your translator works over time translating the fancy font, showing you a pretty standard meal of...what the fuck?

“Telitanya Seliac?” You ask, confused. “Denaio Seltling?”

You continue reading the menu of equally confusing dishes with names of similar caliber.

“Hmm?” Vikna asks, hearing you talk to yourself.

“Uh, I need help with the menu.” You say, looking down at the table. “I don't know what any of these words mean.”

You look up and see her covering her mouth, giggling at your inability. She stops soon after you look up, just smiling before circling a few things on the menu. After she does, the menus close and a glass floats down from the ceiling. Your translator doesn't have to translate anything, as it just says “coca-cola” on it.

“You guys have Celk here?” You ask.

“Yeah, it's really popular at pretty much any restaurant. You know it?” She asks in return.

“Huh, a drink so popular and iconic it transcends time and space.” You reply. “Yeah, I know it.”

“So, did you want to talk about something while we wait?” She asks.

“Uh, sure. How are you doing ever since, uh, you know, that thing happened?” You ask in return.

“Which one? Lots of things have happened.” She replies.

“The mind control thing.” You tell her.

“Oh, I'm feeling pretty good about myself again.” She says, looking down at her body. “I don't have any grey hairs, so I'm perfectly content with myself. As for my mental state, I was told I had mild PTSD, whatever that means.”

“Means you've got the same thing I do, just less severe.” You tell her.

“Oh god, am I developmentally stunted?” She asks, looking at you fearfully.

“What? No, no, no!” You tell her. “You have PTSD, like I do. It's not as bad as mine is, so you're fine!”

She lets out a sigh of relief, sitting back in her chair and putting a hand on her forehead.

“Oh my god, thank you. I thought I was cognitively impaired.” She says. “What does that mean anyways? PTSD?”

“Post traumatic stress disorder.” You reply.

“No, I mean what causes it?” She asks you.

“Trauma, as the name implies. It's usually attributed to combat related trauma, such as losing a limb, shooting a man, or...losing a soldier.” You tell her, hanging on those last words for a bit.

“Oh, I see.” Vikna says, looking down at the table. “I guess that's why I have these weird flashbacks?”

“Yeah, they're perfectly normal. For the disease, that is.” You tell her. “What about everyone else? Is everybody treating you okay?”

“Yeah, everyone's been treating me normally.” She tells you. “How about you?”

“Great. The people here are friendly, or they at least tolerate me.” You reply.

“Hey there Vicky.” A woman says to the side of you.

Vikna's face immediately sours and she looks over at the person next to you. She was a female snow leopard. The girl was dressed in the same fancy dress robes the man at the door wore.

“What?” Vikna asks angrily, covering her face.

“I see you're back to dating men again~.” She teases. “An exotic species at that. What changed your mind?”

“Y-you know that was only an experiment.” She says. “L-look, I'm trying to talk with my date, okay? I don't need you talking to us.”

“Aw, why not tell him about how fast I made you finish when we scissored? I think that's really important for him to know when you two eventually do it.” She continues.

“CARISSA!” She yells.

“Hey, I don't need to know any of this.” You tell her. “Are you here to take our orders or no?”

“You're funny, we already have your orders. I'm just here to bother Vicky.” She says.

“Well, can you go? You're making us both uncomfortable.” You tell her.

“Whatever you say. Your food is almost ready.” She says. “Have fun tonight you two~.”

You look back and see Vikna blushing bright red, covering her face as her claws dig into her fur. You feel your own cheeks begin to heat up as you realize she isn't denying it. As you're about to say something, your food is put in front of you by a mechanical arm. You look up, seeing a fox with an artificial arm bowing slightly.

“Thank you, sir.” You tell him.

“You're welcome, enjoy the meal.” He says, turning around and walking back to the kitchen.

You look down at the food and see it's just seasoned steak. Alien steak, but steak all the same.

“What was this?” You ask.

“Filet mignon.” She says. “It said so on the sheet. You were just reading it in Katrician.”

“The translator wasn't working for some reason.” You tell her. “It translated everything to a Latin alphabet, but didn't translate to English.”

“Well, we didn't really get you the best we could find, just something that would translate in a pinch.” She tells you. “It has trouble with cursive fonts.”

“I see. Well, let's eat.” You tell her.

20 minutes later

You feel like you should be talking, but you can't really think of anything to say. She's been watching you the whole time she's been eating, smiling awkwardly any time you'd notice. It was so cute that you had to smile in return. She was drop dead gorgeous, way out of your league if it weren't for the the circumstances surrounding you meeting. Some fat bastard and a cute girl, a match made in fan fiction hell. However, you weren't fat any more, all the exercise and good food made sure of that. Still, it kind of felt undeserved right now. You had to at least try and earn her.

“You're really pretty, you know that?” You ask on auto pilot.

Vikna looks up at you before smiling, looking off to the side and blushing.

“Thank you.” She says. “You've turned yourself around too.”

“I guess I have.” You say, looking down at yourself. “Thanks for the encouragement by the way. I never would've found the motivation had you not come around.”

“Well, I've had enough of Carissa staring at us from the back, so I think we should go.” She tells you.

You look down at your half eaten food before seeing a digital copy of her credit card, not wanting to leave it. However, Vikna wanted to leave and you needed to assume she was right about social situations. You look back and see Carissa frowning, getting up from where she was sitting. Alarm bells began ringing as you had flashbacks to your old girlfriend doing the same thing.

“Crazy bitch 3 'o clock.” You whisper.

“I see her. Don't look directly at her.” Vikna replies softly.

“Where do you think you're going?” Carissa asks as both of you continue to ignore her. “Hey, I'm talking to you Vikna.”

She steps out in front of you, blocking both your paths as she looks over Vikna. She has a look of anger and hatred in her eye as Vikna looks down at the ground.

“You think you can just walk out on a relationship with me like that?” She asks. “You're forgetting our contract you signed.”

“I'm not bound by that any more.” She says. “Get out of our way.”

“Or what? Are you going to get your ass kicked again?” She asks.

“Stop it.” You tell her. “If you don't move, I'm calling the police.”

“You think the police will get here before I kill both of you?” She asks.

You draw a pistol and point it at her, pulling Vikna along to get some distance between you and the crazy woman.

“Do you know what I've been doing for the past few months I've been here?” You ask, your voice not wavering or stuttering. “I've been killing people. Just about every day for the first month I was here, I killed someone. Now, taking that into consideration, do you think I would lose even a wink of sleep if I shot you in self defense?”

She takes a step forward, challenging your resolve. You don't budge, standing your ground and taking aim at her head.

“One more step and I shoot.” You tell her coolly. “Step aside and let us go back home.”

“He's not joking Carissa. I've seen him put people in the ground.” Vikna adds. “The only thing keeping you alive is the fact you haven't done anything yet. Just back off.”

She weighs her options, looking into your eyes before her ears go flat. Her lip begins quivering before she backs away, putting her hands to her chest.

“S-stay away from me.” She says. “You're insane!”

“Back the fuck up.” You tell her, gun still pointed in her direction. “Sit the fuck back down.”

She nods, turning around and running back to where she was sitting. You holster your weapon and push Vikna along, watching the woman avoid your gaze. When out of the restaurant, you lean on the building, hand to your forehead.

“Thank god I didn't have to shoot.” You say. “I don't think I could've forgiven myself.”

“What?” Vikna asks. “I thought you didn't care if you shot her.”

“I was bluffing.” You reply. “If I didn't care, I would've shot her the second she took a step towards you.”

“Why though?” She asks.

“I don't think of men and women as equals, as our society values women above men. We're seen as expendable and women are seen as needing protection due to their weakness compared to men.” You explain. “Now, of course there are exceptions, but they are the exception, not the rule.”

“That explains why Rei said what she said. Well, it's like that here too, to an extent.” She says. “It's not totally Utopian.”

You just stand like that for a while, trying to calm yourself down as you recover from the shock of almost killing someone you vowed to never kill again. You then hear heavy footsteps and breathing come from the right, causing you to look up. You see Fluff running down the street towards you, parting the crowd as he locks eyes with you.

“Oh my god, I finally found you!” He yells. “Loki can't handle all of them, he needs you!”

“Wait, what?” You ask.

“The things are fucking him up!” He yells. “You need to assist him!”

You look down at Vikna and she looks at Fluff, switching her gaze between you two.

“I need to do this.” You tell her.

“I-I...I know.” She says. “Just promise me you'll come back.”

“I promise.” You say without hesitation. “I will come back to you in one piece.”

“You better not break that promise.” She tells you. “If you die, I'll kill you.”

You nod, following your friend back through the crowd.

2 hours later

You're on a drop ship, Kevlar on your torso and 240 in hand. You brought one spare barrel and some ammo, hoping to keep the weight off your leg. You'd have to be very sparing with your ammo, lest you resort to your terrible swordsmanship. The rear of the drop ship opens up and you get your first look at the situation at hand. It's really fucking bad. The streets are lined with smaller versions of skin walkers and goat men, stalking the streets like it's cool.

“Jesus fucking Christ!” You yell out. “Why are they out in the open?! They're breaking the biggest rule in the book!”

“They don't seem to be bound by any rules!” Fluff replies, landing the drop ship on a roof. “Here's your stop! We'll ferry ammo and barrels to and from The Tower! We'll be back in about 3 hours!”

“You got it!” You yell back, hopping out of the drop ship. “Don't get shot down! They'll rip you apart if they catch you!”

Fluff nods and takes off in the small drop ship, flying off into the distance. You look around and see Loki sitting on an air conditioning vent, his clothing torn and wounds bleeding. He looks defeated, trying to bandage a wound before laying back against an adjacent vent. You make your way over to him, setting your weapon on the ground before helping him bandage the wound.

“They're too strong to fight with so many. I've seen them tear apart legions of soldiers like nothing. Do not go onto the street unless you have a death wish my friend.” He says, grunting in pain as you tighten the bandage around his wound.

“Your job is done soldier. It's my turn to bring the pain.” You tell him, putting a hand on his shoulder. “You did great.”

He nods and you grab your weapon off the ground, walking over to the edge of the building, feeling butterflies in your stomach. You set the bipod up, making sure the barrel is locked in place before lifting the top cover, setting a belt inside before closing the weapon up again. These things were due for a wake up call in the form of 30 caliber rain.

“Are you sure your weapon is enough to kill these things?” He asks. “It looks so puny in comparison to my sword.”

“It'll do work.” You reply.

You line the sight up with one of the things, seeing it grin wildly at you. You give it a wave, seeing it jerkily wave back before you pull the trigger.

RATATATATATATATATAT

The black blood begins spouting from the wounds it sustains, before screeching sounds from the streets. You begin sweeping the crowd of spooks, dealing death from above as your ear plugs threaten to rattle themselves loose. You can see the spatters of gore come from the frail looking ones, as the larger ones just bleed that black blood they always do. They try to scatter before realizing the streets are too populated, allowing you to continue firing your weapon into them without recourse.

The belt goes dry and you pull the bolt back, ejecting the last belt link before pushing the handle forward, locking it in place. You open the top cover and grab another belt from your bag, sliding it into place as you watch the dead and dying flop onto the ground. The streets are starting to disperse as you slap the top cover down, securing it before pulling the trigger again. The monsters are now killing each other to get away, slashing away at each other so they can make it out of the crowd. You didn't count on the fear of a gun to be so strong with them, keeping the fire up as you continue killing.

“KLM Hestai, Bulldog 2-6, requesting MAC strike on the Kandali district, street 22 Le'fland. How copy?” You ask the battle cruiser in orbit around Katric.

“Copy Bulldog 2-6, painting target with laser.” He says, a massive red beam marking the skin walkers trying to flee. “Confirm paint.”

“Copy, target painted. 2 MAC blasts either end of the street.” You tell them.

“Roger, shot out.” The cruiser says, a flash coming from the sky.

“Shot, over.” You reply.

“Splash, out.” The cruiser tells you, a brilliant white light coming towards you.

“GET THE FUCK DOWN!” You scream at Loki, who listens and gets off the air conditioning vent. “INCOMING!”

The ground below you tosses you around like a ragdoll, the building waving back and forth as the 2 MAC rounds hit. When the vibration subsides, you grab the edge of the building, rising from the floor. You look over the edge and see nothing but smoke covering the streets. Maybe engaging with a couple of MAC rounds wasn't a good idea.

“Loki, can you hear me?” You ask. “You okay?”

“I am fine.” He replies. “What do you need?”

“Is there anything you can do to clear that smoke?” You ask.

“I felt a water source around here, let me whip up something to clean up all this dust.” He says, bringing a wall of water to bear.

He begins sweeping the street, the clean water being clouded by dust as the wall soaks up everything. Your vision is cleared and the sight before you was gruesome to say the least. The street was littered with bodies, being torn to shreds from the massive amount of shrapnel pumped into them. Absolutely nothing was left alive. You pick your weapon up off the ground and unlatch the barrel, setting it to the side as you insert the spare. When it's locked in place, you set the bipod up on the side of the building, watching down the side of the building. Just as you're about to radio in an all clear, you see something move out of the corner of your eye, ducking into an alley way. It's not over yet.

“Loki, drop the water and watch the right side.” You tell him. “Contact just out of my FOV, 100 meters.”

“I feel its presence.” Loki replies.

Before you have time to respond, you're thrown to the ground by what felt like a bitch slap from god. You feel yourself skid across the metallic roof before something stops you, quickly planting itself on top of you.

“Your flesh is weak.” It says as you finally focus on what it is. “I'm strong.”

It looks like a deer with goat horns, sporting long hair and teeth sharp enough to tear through just about anything it wanted to bite. Then, the crushing feeling of animalistic fear came down on you like a weighted blanket.

“Your fear feeds me~.” It says, not moving its mouth at all to speak. “I've killed most of this city and stolen their souls.”

“No...you're breaking the rules.” You tell it. “This is impossible.”

“Stupid meat. Rules don't apply here.” It tells you. “No god to stop me here.”

“RELEASE MY FRIEND YOU MONSTER!” Loki shouts angrily.

You hear an almighty roar from above you as the massive lion tackles the beast off you. You feel your leg begin to pulsate in pain, shouting profanities as you try to keep the pain under control. When you look down, you see a large bruise that stretches around the front half of the seam connecting your new leg to your body. Was it broken? What happened to it?

There was no time to think about that as You look over at Loki and the beast, the lion having grown to his previously mountainous form. Even though, he was just as tall as the thing was, even struggling to keep the beast contained. Pain or not, you had to help him, lest you both die on this roof. You take the scabbard off your back and unsheathe the sword, feeling it begin to shake violently. When the shaking subsides, every rune on it was glowing brightly, including the suspected strength rune.

“You're a dragon. A terrible beast that does nothing but bring terror and hardship.” You tell him, feeling your hands begin to sear, the power in your sword being fully realized. “I'm a Marine. WE...SLAY...DRAGONS!”

You should've just let it be, as you're already cringing at what you just said. Your hands felt like they were on fire as you grit your teeth, running towards the two titans. When you get within range, both Loki and the beast recognize you as your lion friend turns the boxing match into a restraint. However, it wasn't enough to keep the beast still, breaking free of Loki's bond. You continue your charge, positioning your sword for a slash with everything you had. The beast tosses Loki away from it before turning its attention to you, preparing itself for your charge. You get within striking distance and swing with your entire body, gritting your teeth as it raises its claws. The sword momentarily clashes against the claws before the bony protrusions are destroyed by your sword. The beast screams in pain as your sword continues on its path, slicing clean through its hide.

You feel your arms snap from the exertion and scream in agony, dropping the sword on the ground as your reattached leg collapses from under you. Loki rushes over to the beast and brings his own sword down on the defenseless beast, causing it to screech even louder as he delivers the killing blow. You lay on the ground, still screaming and cursing as you look down at your arms. The forearms are bent down the middle and you could feel them crunch when you tried to move them. Your hands looked like they were burned in a fire, the skin peeling off as you continue to scream in pain.

“Holy shit!” Fluff yells. “Jack, what happened?!”

You try to silence your screams, looking around for the spook before seeing it nowhere. Loki looked bloody and bruised, but he held his sword high, victorious. When he had struck his pose, he looks back down and answers.

“He struck the beast with everything he had. A single mighty blow destroyed claws that not even my sword and strength could dent. I believe his bones could not take the strain and...snapped.” Loki answers. “He needs to get to a hospital immediately.”

“Son of a bitch. Jack, buddy, I'm gonna knock you out for a bit. You're in a lot of pain right now and it'll kill you if you stay conscious.” Fluff tells you, bringing an auto injector to your neck. “Just stay calm and let me...”

He stabs you in the neck with the needle, the liquid forcing itself into your veins as you begin losing consciousness. The pain recedes into the back of your mind before you fall asleep, dreaming of electric sheep.

Vikna

You watch the security camera on the roof, gasping as you see the terror face to face. It was fighting Loki and WINNING. The strength of this creature was far beyond anything you could ever imagine. Jack does the unthinkable, drawing his sword when he has a gun to his left. Then, you see his hands begin shaking along with the sword, the symbols on the side glowing brightly. You see smoke coming from his hands as he gets into position, ready to charge.

“You're a dragon. A terrible beast that does nothing but bring terror and hardship.” He tells the monster, the symbols glowing brighter. “I'm a Marine. WE...SLAY...DRAGONS!”

He charges forward in a burst of speed you've never seen from him, looking like he could outrun all but the fastest of anthros. Loki attempts to restrain the thing, but it tosses him away like a rag doll. The beast roars in anticipation, bringing its claws up to block the sword. Jack had no intention of stopping, bringing the sword back for a strike. By this time, Nytro had taken an interest.

“No way. I watched the fight earlier and that thing has claws that can't be broken.” Nytro says. “What is he thinking?”

Jack twists his body and lets out a battle cry, swinging the sword with all his might. The power of the strike lifted him off the ground, destroying the claws with a single strike.

“Holy shit.” Nytro says.

You then hear a scream undoubtedly belonging to Jack, making your ears fold back. When he drops the sword, Loki begins finishing the fight he started, making headway before your focus shifted back to your friend. A closer look at his arms nearly made you keel over, as he had broken both his forearms and his leg. He tries to move himself along the ground, but stops immediately when he looks at his hands. They're burned and the skin is peeling. You back away from the screen, covering your eyes as you feel the tears begin to flow. He promised you he'd come back safe! You run off as Nytro tries to stop you, failing to do so as you make your way to your room.

Jack

5 days later

You awaken in the hospital bed...again. What happened? When you try to get up, you feel your back ache too much to move.

“Don't move, you're hurt.” Vikna says.

“What happened?” You ask, feeling like someone threw you against a wall.

“You broke yourself.” She replies. “You broke your promise.”

“What promise?” You ask before memories start flooding back.

The skin walker, the sword, the MAC cannon, the promise...

“You promised me you'd come back safe.” She says, on the verge of tears. “You promised me.”

“Vikna, I'm alive and safe.” You tell her. “Those people and Loki are both safe-”

“Half the city was already dead when you got there!” Vikna yells. “I don't give a flying FUCK about that lion! I care about you and you're putting yourself in danger every chance you get!”

“Well, who else will?” You ask.

“PLENTY OF OTHER PEOPLE!” Vikna screams. “Stop trying to be a hero! This planet is SAFE! The terrorists are pushed back to Siania! It's not your problem anymore!”

You look down at your arms, both wrapped up in casts up to your wrists. Your hands are wrapped in some sort of glove, and when you try to move your hand, they secrete some kind of oil. You then look over to Vikna, who has her hands over her eyes, sobbing gently into them.

“I'm sorry.” You tell her. “I'll stop fighting if you want me to.”

“Yes!” She yells. “Please, just stop putting yourself in unnecessary danger.”

“Okay.” You tell her. “Now stop crying and come over here.”

She does as you ask and comes over to you, getting on the bed before you scoot yourself over. She takes the space you've made available, pulling herself towards you. Turns out this wasn't a very wise idea. You hear a snap and she immediately gets off you, seeing the cast has broken in half. You look down in horror, yet Vikna seems unfazed.

“Guess they're finished healing.” She says. “Engage door locks.”

You hear a click and look over at her with worry, seeing her smirk at you. She begins rubbing her fingers up and down your body, feeling you up as she rubs her face against yours. Her muzzle eventually makes it to your lips, where she begins kissing you gently. All the while, you hear clothing dropping on the floor, making you look down at her. She's stripping on the bed. She releases your lips and licks your nose, continuing to smile sweetly.

“You know, I've only let a few other people get this close to me, right?” She asks.

“I didn't.” You reply.

“I hope that signifies just how important you are to me. You seem so pent up all the time, always wanting to fight. When was the last time you had a release?” She asks.

“Uh, um, that's kind of private-”

“Answer me.” She tells you.

“About 12 days ago.” You say.

“You're about due for another one.” She tells you. “However, I don't want you doing anything too strenuous with those arms, so I'll take over.”

She gets on top of you, pushing your hospital gown up and revealing your soft member to the world. Vikna raises her eyebrows in surprise, having not expected it to be what it is.

“Did you get smaller?” She asks.

“I remember Tilya saying something about it. I don't know.” You tell her. “Are you really going to do this?”

“Yes, I'm doing this right now.” She replies. “You've made love to Ayn and Zofie. Now you're mine.”

“To be fair, I never stuck myself inside Ayn.” You tell her. “I just w-whoa!”

Vikna is already on top of your cock, licking it gently with her surprisingly smooth tongue. You thought it'd feel like sand paper, but it felt so soft and smooth you become instantly erect.

“I see you like my mouth.” She says, smirking as she continues to lick. “Come on, We've got all night. Don't think I don't know how long humans can go for either. I looked it up.”

You feel yourself getting close as she begins suckling on the tip of your cock, drawing out precum from your cock as she moans with glee. You begin petting the top of her head gently, causing her to begin purring. This intensifies the pleasure, as you near your limit.

“V-Vikna, I-”

She shoves her head all the way down, moaning as you go over the edge, spurts of cum flinging themselves into the back of her throat. She looks up at you with a devious smirk, continuing to suck out the remaining cum as she pulls herself off your dick.

“That was fast.” She tells you. “Now it's your turn~.”

She whips herself around, shoving her ass in your face. You pull away from her, not wanting her to sit on your face.

“Come on, I know you can do it.” She says. “I don't taste like fish, if that's what you're worried about.”

She wiggles her ass in your face and you bring your hands up to her butt, spreading her pussy out as she whines and moans. You bring your face closer to her ass and begin licking it, tasting...peppermint?

“Peppermint?” You ask.

“You like it? I've always tasted like peppermint.” She replies. “K-keep going please.”

You do as you're told, lapping up her sweet juices as she begins to writhe in ecstasy. Her butt moves around on top of you, making it a bit difficult to keep licking her candy flavored cunt. You grasp her ass and keep it in place, making her yelp in surprise. You begin kneading into her soft butt fur, her pussy contracting as it tries to pull your tongue further in. A torrent of juice comes streaming out, her slit clamping down on your tongue like a vice. She begins to wrack from the sensation as she experiences an orgasm of her own.

As she comes down off the high of her orgasm, an aftershock hits, squeezing your tongue a bit more gently as she lays forward on top of you. She pants and whines, moaning and purring at the same time as you take a small break from draining her of her juices. After waiting about a minute, you go right back at it, surprising her in the process.

“W-wait!” She yells. “I-I'm still-ngh!”

You keep lapping up her cum, savoring its flavor as she moans and cries loudly. She goes limp on top of your body, causing you to prop yourself up and continue messing her up inside. Vikna has stopped moaning and has begin letting out cries of pleasure and ecstasy, making your erection grow again. She tries to lick your cock, but is sent back down onto the bed by your relentless tongue fucking. Vikna climaxes again, crying out in pleasure as she squeezes your tongue, slumping back down in a panting and whining mess.

You decide she's had enough, and allow her to recover as she begins to regain her strength. She turns herself back towards you, smiling a dopey smile as she moves her lips up to yours. She parts them and begins running her tongue all along the inside of your mouth, licking your cheeks and tongue with her own. She moans into your mouth before pulling back from the kiss, putting a finger between herself and licking it.

“I guess you really liked the taste.” She says shakily. “G-god, you went at it hard.”

“I wanted to make you feel good.” You tell her. “Did you like it?”

“I loved it.” She replies. “Now, time for what we've both been waiting for.”

She brings her butt down on your cock, hovering just above your tip as she smiles gently. You nod and she brings herself down, moaning and purring as she does. Your hands instinctively go to her hips, pushing her down as she bites her bottom lip. When you hilt, you feel something at the top of your dick, pushing against it slightly.

“Aah, perfect fit.” She says contently. “Right up against my womb.”

You watch her rise and fall again with a muffled slap, grinning as you pull her down towards you. You begin kissing her as she slides up and down on your cock, bringing you ever closer to orgasm.

“S-so close.” She tells you after breaking away. “Just a bit-ah!”

Her walls spasm and you groan in pleasure, climaxing as you feel a load being squeezed out of you while you continue thrusting upward. You feel your man milk seemingly disappear into her pussy as she continues to milk your cock relentlessly. It feels like heaven to you as Vikna pulls you into a kiss, moaning into your mouth as both of your orgasms continue to peak. It feels like they last forever, a feeling of ecstasy you've never felt before when you jacked off or had sex. What was this feeling? You wanted to keep feeling it for the rest of your life. Your orgasm finally tapered off, Vikna still moaning and panting as you pant along. She looks up at you and breaks the kiss, smiling.

“It all went into my womb.” She tells you. “Not a drop left. If I was fertile, you would've knocked me up.”

You just lay back in bed and smile warmly, putting a hand on her face as she lifts herself off you. She grabs a towel from the side of the bed and begins wiping you down with it, sucking whatever cum was left inside your cock out before finishing you off. She wipes her pussy off, which had nothing leaking from it at all. She tosses the towel on the ground and pulls your gown out of the way, getting out of bed weakly to grab her panties. When she did, she walks back to you and lays down on the bed, basking in the afterglow of sex as she cuddles up to you.

“You're perfect for me.” She tells you. “We need to do this more often, if not every night.”

“Yeah.” You reply simply, pulling her towards you. “You're so cute.”

She smiles, rubbing against you before running her hand down your mid section, putting her hand over your dick again.

“Let's see just how much longer you can last~.” She says, smirking deviously before putting your hard cock between her thighs. “Start pumping until you can't pump any more.”

You shudder at how soft her thigh fur feels on your member, grasping her torso and beginning to stroke her belly gently. It was so incredibly smooth, her back being pressed up against you as she squeezes her thighs together every once, causing you to begin thrusting again. She begins to coo gently, laying her head back into the crook of your neck as you begin to twitch.

“Every part of my body is yours to take tonight.” She tells you. “From my head down to my toes. Whatever freaky fetish you have, I'm at your disposal.”

“F-fuck that's hot.” You tell her, continuing to thrust into her soft thigh fur. “L-lucky fo-fuck-for you, I'm v-vanilla as f-fuck.”

“Boring.” She says with a chuckle before you feel your dick slip up against her slit. “A-ah, fuck! I s-slipped!”

She pulls herself back and quits moaning, putting her soft hands up against your cheek as you begin to thrust faster, feeling the pressure begin to build in your cock already.

“Already? I hope you start lasting longer the more we do it.” She says with a chuckle. “I don't mean that. You don't need to hold back for me. Just let it out and make up for it later. Or don't. I'm just happy you're-”

You put a hand over her mouth to shut her up, blowing a smaller load between her thighs as it coats her fur in your sticky semen. She moans, licking your hand with her tongue that feels much softer than before, grasping at her breasts. A few more spurts of cum leak out of your dick as you remove your hand from her mouth. She grasps your cock and begins milking whatever was left inside, bringing the contents of it up to her mouth before licking it. She coos gently, wiping whatever was on her thigh into her mouth as she moans sensually with each wipe.

“Are you going to put yourself in any more unnecessary danger?” She asks.

“N-no.” You reply shakily, still shook up from the orgasm you just had. “I-I already said no.”

“I don't think you've convinced me.” She says, pulling herself off your dick before sliding down the bed. “I know they're not as big as Ayn's, but I know for a fact they're good enough for something like this. Imagine if you chose Zofie instead. She doesn't even have boobs.”

You're about to tell her to stop being mean when she brings her tits down on your dick, causing you to let out a groan instead. When your dick pokes out the top of her cleavage, you see her bring the tip into her mouth. Your head falls back, your entire body shuddering in ecstasy as she giggles on your dick. You twitch violently at the sensation, almost feeling like you had an orgasm without blowing a load. She pulls her mouth off your cock and smiles, beginning to move as your head falls limp again.

“I think I found your weakness~.” She tells you. “Then again, you did this when I blew you back on Earth. You must really like me.”

“H-how a-are you s-so f-fucking hot?” You ask shakily, unable to summon the strength to look at her.

“If you want an honest answer, I watch a lot of porn. I'm not like Ayn, who jumps on a dick every time she gets horny. I like my sex to be special.” She tells you, pumping her tits up and down even faster. “Come on, I'm getting tired and want to sleep. Give me a big finish.”

You blow your final load of the night, feeling Vikna shove her mouth over your dick as whatever was left in your balls leaks out into her mouth. She lets out a disappointed sigh as you shudder and shake, her tits moving up and down slowly as the soft fur caresses your shaft. When you let out your final little dribble, she sucks whatever is left out before pulling up with a wet pop.

“Well, I guess four is your limit after twelve days.” She tells you, a bit disappointed. “Way more than I'm used to, but I heard big things from the, uh, internet I think it was.”

“S-sorry.” You tell her, watching her grab the towel from the table beside you and wipe both of you off. “I'm still really new to sex.”

She pulls herself up to you and presses her lips against yours. She begins moaning into your mouth, laying herself down on top of you before breaking the kiss. She scoots herself down on you and uses her claw to cut down the middle of your gown, ripping it off you and laying down on your bare naked form. You wrap your arms around her and stroke her back, watching her nuzzle up against the crook of your neck as she curls up as best she could. You both fall asleep like this, embraced in each others arms as you come down off the high of having your first time with someone you genuinely love.

12 hours later

You finish washing your hands, having just expelled the black masses known as nanites from your body. They hurt worse than a kidney stone coming out of one end, and feels like a razor blade coming out the other. Guess it's an incentive to not get hurt. You dry your hands off and hobble out the door, making it back to your bed. When you do, you see ARA in the other chair, holding a tablet in her hand. You lay back on your bed, ARA perking up and smiling.

“Jackson! I have finally found you!” She yells excitedly. “How have you been? You haven't visited me in a long time.”

“I've been better.” You reply. “What's going on?”

“Well, my superiors could not get in contact with miss Vikna after last night, so they sent me instead. We're asking you to volunteer on a special operations mission to-”

“No.” You tell her firmly. “I'm done with putting myself in danger. I have a couple days to go before I can even move freely again. I'm in no position to go out on a black ops raid.”

“They thought you'd say something like that.” She says. “Well, they're giving you a choice. Either you accept the mission and go with miss Vikna after going through accelerated healing, or you're thrown out of The Tower completely and left to fend for yourself.”

You grip your hands tight and look over at ARA, who's backed up slightly by now.

“Did you have any part in this?” You ask.

“No, I am just relaying a message.” She tells you. “I'm told to let you think on the offer.”

“Jack!” Vikna yells from out in the hallway, making her way inside. “Jack! Oh my god, they want you on a mission or-”

“I'll get kicked out of The Tower, yeah, I know.” You tell her.

“W-well, you don't have to go. I can go by myself.” She tells you. “You can live at my apartment with me now that the city is completely safe. I don't even know why I still lurk around here.”

“The Varhand said you'd lose your job too if Jackson did not come along. Dishonorable discharge and all.” ARA adds. “I'm sorry it has to be this way. Either he comes or you both lose everything.”

“Take me to them.” You tell her, getting up.

“Jack! NO!” Vikna yells, trying to keep you back.

You get on your crutches and begin walking out, Vikna trying to pull you back. ARA gets up and follows your order, leading you out as Vikna continues to pull against you. You feel her let go and you turn around.

“If you freeze me and I fall, I'll be injured even further.” You tell her. “I'm going to confront this man one way or another.”

“If you say the wrong thing, we'll both be on the chopping block!” She yells.

You keep walking after ARA as she gets in the elevator leading to the space platform. You step inside and she presses a few holo-keys with the words “OVERRIDE” appearing on the holographic display.

30 minutes later

You make it to the top of the space elevator, Vikna pleading and begging you the whole way. Your leg hurts bad, which only serves to make you more angry. When you exit the elevator, Vikna is drawing all kinds of attention to you as she continues to beg you not to go through with it. When ARA turns off into a room, Vikna shuts up and stands at attention. A large dragon with a scar across his eye stands before you, arms crossed as he looks across at you.

“What the hell are you doing out of bed sailor?” He asks. “Come to consider my offer?”

“Who the hell do you think you are to tell me what I can and can't do?” You ask. “I'm not one of your sailors. I'm a citizen of the United States of America. I don't belong to Katric or its navy. I may work alongside you as foreign aid, but I do not take orders from you.”

“You watch your mouth sailor.” He tells you, his tone getting deeper and darker. “You're on thin ice.”

“Are you threatening me?” You ask. “Better yet, are you threatening her?”

You point to Vikna and she stands straight as a board, blushing bright red.

“You bet your ass I'm threatening her. I know she cares more about her job than anything, and you'll do just about anything to stay friends with her. So, in a way, you are under my command, sailor.” He tells you. “So step in line.”

“I refuse.” You tell him. “I've put myself in enough danger for you ungrateful bastards. I haven't been paid, supplied with ammunition, transport, or medical attention. A gift card I was given by a friend is already down to five grand because of all the debt I've accumulated. You provide me with absolutely nothing and expect me to do anything for you? You're fucking retarded.”

“Retarded?” He asks. “I'll show you retarded you fucking insubordinate piece of garbage!”

“Come on! I can take you even with this broken leg!” You yell, dropping your crutches and getting into a fighting stance.

“Come on mental defective, let's rumble!” He yells, flipping the briefing table over, walking over to you.

“THAT'S ENOUGH!” Vikna screams.

You look back at her and so does the dragon.

“I've had it with all the missions, all the violence, all the fighting and meaningless BULLSHIT!” Vikna shouts.

“Kavkor, you're way out of-”

“SHUT UP DENEL!” She screams. “You're probably the stupidest officer I've ever seen, sending people on suicide missions and black mailing them if they refuse to die for you. THERE'S A SMARTER WAY!”

“Kavkor, control yourself.” Denel tells her.

“I SAID SHUT UP!” She screams, blasting his muzzle with ice and leaving little holes for him to breath out of. “You've been trying to get me killed since you took charge of ground ops, sending me on stupid missions BY MYSELF! I remember sliding down a vent and almost getting cut to pieces by a laser grid. Remember? The vent you 'scouted out' and said was 'perfectly safe' or some shit?”

He nods his head and she continues.

“My suit was destroyed! I radioed it in and you asked me if you could see my exposed body! At least Nytro asked if I was alright first!” She continues shouting. “Now you're trying to get my boyfriend and I killed!”

“Boyfriend?” You ask timidly.

He breaks the ice around his muzzle and growls.

“I'm doing no such thing!” He says. “You're the most qualified people for the job!”

“BULL FUCKING SHIT!” She screams over him. “I had mediocre marks in the special forces training course, and that was for females! The easier option out of the two!”

“Your 'boyfriend' and you are going on that operation whether you like it or not! If you don't, you'll lose your job and your housing!” He yells. “So get your boyfriend to the healing pod and gear up for the next mission! You will follow my orders!”

“I'M DONE FOLLOWING YOUR FUCKING ORDERS!” You both scream at the same time.

You look over at Vikna, who's just as startled as you are. You look back at him and walk on your broken foot, overcoming the pain and making your way over to him.

“I'll take her with me, back to my world where we can live in peace.” You tell him. “We can raise a family, have cookouts on the lawn, play football in the yard, and go hunting in the woods together, as a family. I don't need to be here. I'm only here because Vikna wanted me. She asked for my help and I answered her call, just like I have time and time again. You want to get rid of her housing and job? Fine, she can come live with me. Don't you think for a god damn second that I'd ever consider breaking another promise to her.”

“Jack...” She says. “You'd do that?”

“You're not in a position to be saying these things young man.” He tells you, looking at you with fire in his eyes. “I outrank you and Ramenskaya combined.”

“But you don't outrank me.” A voice says behind you.

You look back and see a male feline enter the door, a scratch over his right eye and many scars throughout his fur. He looked a bit taller than Vikna was, about 5 inches taller. His eyes were icy blue, the same color as Viknas fur. Vikna turns around as well and her expression makes it very apparent who this is.

“DAD!” She screams, bolting forward to meet her father.

“Sweetheart, we can catch up later. Right now I need to put one of my sailors in his place.” He says, giving her a quick hug before walking forward on a bionic leg.

“M-mister Ramenskaya, sir!” He yells, giving him a Katrician salute.

“The hell are you trying to do to my little girl?” He asks, pointing to the dragon.

“S-sir, I was just-”

“Trying to get my daughter and her friend killed. That's what you're doing. Our forces are doing just fine without the covert operations. The war will be over within the week and we can move to assist our Sianian neighbors.” He says, turning back to you. “As for you. Get back to the hospital. Sweetheart, go wait with him in the room. I'll return when I'm finished talking to this fuck face.”

You give him a crisp salute and pick your crutches off the floor, walking back through the doors with Vikna in tow.

30 minutes later

You've both been sitting around in the hospital room, waiting for mister Ramenskaya.

“You were willing to risk everything to keep a promise to me?” Vikna asks.

“Well, yeah.” You reply. “I'm keeping my promises from now on.”

“Unless my dad can convince him otherwise, I think I may have just lost my job and ships.” She tells you. “Are you still willing to take me in?”

You nod with a smile.

“Of course.” You tell her. “Let's wait for your dad to come back.”

As if on cue, the door opens, the feline in question entering the room.

“Now, where were we?” He asks, holding his arms out.

“Dad!” Vikna yells, rushing over to her dad before pulling him into a hug. “I-I missed you so much!”

“I missed you too sweetheart.” He says, accepting her into his arms. “How's your mother?”

You see her flinch at her name, telling him all he needs to know. He shakes his head, rubbing the back of hers as his mood seems to deflate.

“I guess it's not all smooth sailing.” He says. “Sorry I brought it up.”

He lets go and gives her a loving smile before turning back to you. This causes you to get out of bed, hissing as you stand on your bad leg at attention. You give him a salute and he cocks his head.

“Staff Sergeant Jackson H. Haigs reporting, sir!” You say, sounding off.

“Get back in bed sailor. You're injured.” He tells you, pointing to your leg. “As you were.”

“Yes, sir.” You say, getting back in bed.

When you're back in bed, he takes a seat next to where Vikna was sitting, smiling when he looks over his daughter. When he looks back to you, he gives you a look of mild concern.

“You're my daughter's boyfriend, right?” He asks, looking you up and down.

“Yes, sir.” You reply.

“You've been treating her right?” He asks.

“Yes, sir.” You reply.

“Alright, now for the tough question.” He says. “Have you and my daughter, well, you know, done it?”

You feel your entire face go flush, unable to look at him anymore.

“D-dad!” Vikna yells. “That's extremely private!”

“What? I want to know if I can be expecting grand kids any time soon.” He says.

“We're not that far along yet!” Vikna yells.

“Oh, come on. You're 24 years old now. You're telling me you still don't have a husband?” He asks.

“Jack and I just started dating a week ago. Why are you rushing things?!” She asks.

“Hey, I'm only teasing.” He replies, his voice giving way to a more sinister tone. “I can smell peppermint on the sheets. I already know you two did it.”

Vikna tenses up and sighs, looking down at the floor.

“Are you mad?” She asks.

“You're an adult now Vikna. What kind of father would I be if I got mad at my daughter for doing what comes natural to her?” He asks in return.

“I guess you're right.” She says. “Yeah, we did it.”

He looks over at you and sighs, looking disappointed.

“You couldn't have at least picked a feline of some kind?” He asks.

“Jack is a really good guy, dad.” She replies. “He's a lot more understanding than just about any guy I've ever dated.”

“I know, but he has the look.” Her dad says. “He's not all there sweetheart.”

You look back down at the blanket, laying back in bed. You nod in agreement, looking up at the pattern of the ceiling tiles.

“DAD!” She screams.

“Hey, look at me sailor.” He says, undeterred.

You look up and see he has a gun in his lap now.

“You ever hurt my little girl, I'll kill you. Understand?” He asks.

You nod, looking back to Vikna as she scratches behind her head.

“Dad, I don't think you understand what lengths he's gone to protect me.” She tells him. “He's done things for me that I don't think I could do for him in a million years.”

“Like what?” He asks.

“The first thing he did when he came to this world was kill anyone who tried to harm me. All the terrorists who threatened my life were killed swiftly and, uh, humanely by him.” Vikna replies.

“He's killed people for you?” He asks.

“Yes, he has.” She replies.

After a while of this, you kind of tune them out, remembering the first thing you did when you came here. A bayonet charge, rifle fire, counter sniping, room clearing, piloting...flashbacks.

“Jack!” Vikna yells, snapping you out of your trance.

“What?” You ask, looking over at her.

“You've been staring at the door for an hour now.” She replies. “Is something wrong?”

“Just thinking.” You reply.

“Well, try not to look crazy when my dad accuses you of being crazy.” She tells you, looking back to the door.

“What about the Varhand?” You ask. “Is he going to be any trouble?”

“He's been disciplined thoroughly. He's been a trouble maker since he became an Initiate.” Her dad replies.

“So I'm not going to have to intervene?” You ask.

“I'd recommend not getting caught up in affairs like this. It will end...poorly for you.” He tells you.

You nod, hearing the door open up before looking at it, seeing ARA standing in the door.

“Mister Jackson! Your humans are under attack!” She yells. “They asked for you!”

You get out of bed and feel your leg protest, grabbing your holster off the bed without a word. When you make it out the door, you see a portal in front of you, Fluff on the other side as he looks around with a gun. He looked around nervously as Argus lay on the floor, holding his guts in.

“ARA, I need to borrow your visor.” You tell her.

“What? Why?” She asks.

“I need thermals.” You reply, looking in the blackened room.

She nods, taking the visor off her head and handing it to you. The straps warp and twist, expanding and contracting as you bring it to your head. What a sight you must be, limping towards a portal in a hospital gown with a pistol wrapped around your waist and a visor fitting itself to your head. The visor attaches itself to your face and begins flashing through all of these different variables, before linking up with your neural link. You step through the portal and draw your pistol before Fluff is jumped by something you can't see, knocking his own gun away as his eyes go wide.

“Thermals.” You say idly and the visor switches to thermals, revealing 3 beings walking around the blackened room in active camouflage.

The pain in your leg begins to compound as you limp towards Fluff, drawing your pistol and pointing at the invisible being on top of him. You pull the trigger.

BANG BANG

The shots land true and the thermal signature lights up, the left eye switching to normal view. This reveals another bird, wings spread haphazardly as they lay on top of Fluff. He looks up at you with a shocked expression, looking down at his wrist before looking back at you.

“COME ON YOU SONS OF BITCHES!” You scream. “COME GET SOME!”

The two figures take the opportunity and charge you with surprising speed, allowing you time to engage only one. You pull the trigger.

BANG BANG BANG

One drops, but the next one slams into you, knocking the visor off your head as you see shimmering above you. The camouflage deactivates to reveal a grinning blue jay, who immediately disappears from the top of you.

“Do not damage my visor!” ARA shouts as you look over to where she was speaking from.

ARA had the man on the ground and her fur was fully extended. He tries to scratch at her, but gets shocked as she grits her teeth angrily.

“My equipment is not for you to tamper with!” She shouts. “Do not harm my friends or my things!”

She slams her fist down on him and you hear the wind get knocked out of him as you level your pistol with him.

BANG BANG click

You look into the pistol and see it's empty, tossing it aside and getting off the floor. The bird is laying on the floor dead while ARA is still beating on him.

“ARA, he's dead!” You yell. “Don't waste any more energy on him!”

She gets off him immediately and begins licking herself off, blood having stained her arms. ARA then sees something and immediately stops licking herself, a scanning beam coming from her eyes as it passes over the uniform.

“These men are Katrician special forces!” She yells.

You hear fluff cough and look over, seeing blood spilling from his beak. He was leaning against the wall and you run over to him, the cast making it difficult and the pain making it more so. You make it over to him and the lights turn on, revealing Argus on the ground, dead as far as you can tell with 2 more dying. There's no time to feel grief as you heft Fluff onto your good side, ARA getting on the other side as he goes limp in your arms.

“GET THOSE WOUNDED THROUGH THE PORTAL!” You scream back to your uninjured men.

You make it through the portal and it leads directly to the front room, where the hospital staff are waiting with a smile. That is, until you show up with a dying bird.

“Get this man a corpsman!” You say on auto pilot, setting him down as you limp back through the portal.

You don't notice the pain or the awkwardness of the cast at all while you make your way to the makeshift barracks, seeing Argus being taken from the room on a cot turned stretcher. When you enter the barracks, you see Lyle being loaded onto a cot, but they're short men on the stretcher. You grab a rung of the cot and limp forward, bringing your injured comrade to the portal as Fluff and Argus are getting treatment. When you set Lyle down, you limp back through the portal, much to the chagrin of the hospital staff and your Marines.

When you enter the barracks again, you see Chuck being lifted up onto the cot and you take position on the side of the cot, seeing your remaining Marines take positions to either side. All 4 of you make your way to the portal and lay down Euler, doctors taking him out of your hands as you process what just happened. ARA comes back through with your gun and her visor, putting on the latter while handing you the former. You let the slide forward and slide the gun in your holster. You turn around and see Vikna standing in the hallway, looking over the scene and looking back into the portal.

“What happened?” She asks, her father exiting your room down the hallway.

“Katrician spec-ops tried to snuff out my guys.” You tell her. “They killed Argus.”

“Nobody here is dead. Your friend looks like he's holding on by a thread.” One of the doctors tells you. “A couple more seconds and he would've bit it.”

You look back at Argus and see a massive bandage over his previously exposed guts. When your gaze wanders back to Vikna, she's much closer to you now.

“What did you do?” She asks.

“He put his life on the line to save us.” Lyle says weakly. “There's a reason this fucker has a silver star.”

You shoot him a glare and he lays back down on the cot, chuckling before it turns into a coughing fit. She looks up at you and cocks her head.

“Silver star?” She asks. “What's that?”

“It's nothing.” You tell her.

“Bullshit it's nothing.” Peterson says. “One of the highest honors a member of the military can get.”

“I didn't deserve it.” You tell them, looking down.

“If...you don't...tell them...what...happened...I will.” Argus says weakly.

You look back at Argus and the doctors are giving him some sort of fluid while he looks to you. He gives you a nod before laying himself back in the floating stretcher. He's then ferried off to a room with doctors in tow, keeping his IV dripping as they float him away. You look back at Vikna and see her father is now curiously looking up at you.

“Follow me.” You tell them, not sure of what you were about to do.

3 hours later

You sit down on the couch in your room, turning on the neural link before it displays the now familiar memory interface. Vikna is sat next to you and her father is sat in the recliner to your left, the holo-screen turning on by itself. When you choose the relevant memory, it starts off with you inside a relatively modern house. The date code at the top was November 12th, 2020. There were many dead and dying on the tables, couch, and floor. You were looking around at the death and smelling the sickly sweet smell of blood and guts.

“Lieutenant, we need to pull out now!” One of the men yells. “Half our squad is dying and we have a fucking company on the horizon that's ready to blow our nuts out of our asses!”

“We can't move without cover!” The LT tells the man. “Unless you have a working radio to call in air cover, we can't retreat!”

You look towards the stairs leading to the roof and down at your weapon before walking forward.

“I'll cover all of you.” You say. “I have the least to lose.”

Your voice sounds defeated and depressed, like you were barely hanging on to life as is. At that point in your life, grief was the only thing you knew and the only thing that kept you from killing yourself was the fact you were still needed by your unit. Later on you found the will to live in writing, but that soon was tainted by your depression and PTSD as well. The LT looked at you with horror in his eyes, shaking his head.

“If I don't do this, all of us will die LT.” You tell him. “I'll hold them off as long as I can. You focus on getting these men back home.”

“Sergeant...”

“Don't argue with me.” You say. “I'll keep them off you. Just run to the MRAP.”

He's about to argue, but rounds begin peppering the walls outside, followed by shouts and machine gun fire.

“Go!” You yell, bringing your weapon up. “I'll cover!”

He looks back at his men and to you before a look of resolve washes over his face. He gives you a stiff nod and orders the men to begin packing up as you move to the roof. When you reach the roof, you see the advancing men in the streets, firing AKMs into the air as they scream obscenities at your men. Some of them fire at the house blindly, but they don't notice you peaking out from the top of the roof. That's when you notice the front line is made of women holding their children as shields, covered completely in black robes with rifles in one arm and child in another.

“Oh my god...” You say, getting on the radio. “Actual, Bulldog 2-6, they're using women and children as shields!”

“Holy shit Bulldog, how many are there?” Actual asks, breaking radio etiquette.

“At least 50 women and children making up the first 5 lines!” You yell back. “Holy fucking shit, the women are using children as body armor!”

“Sergeant, you don't have to-”

“NO! I'll hold them off!” You shout, getting off the radio. “This is my burden to bear.”

You open the top cover up, loading a belt box and centering the rounds, shiny side down in the feed tray, closing the weapon up before setting up on the edge of the roof. You see the reticle of an ACOG sight on the screen as you shake your head no.

“Don't make me do this. I can't let my men die.” You say, gun shaking as you line up a shot near the feet of the women and children.

Your pleas go unanswered as the crowd advances on the house, firing AKMs at the house as they scream in their native language. You pull the trigger.

RATATATAT

Some of the women scatter as the rounds impact the dirt in front of them, carrying their children away with them, but most stay in formation, focusing their wild AK fire on the roof now. You had no choice. You pull the trigger again, taking aim at the furthest forward.

RATATATATATATAT

Women begin screaming in fear as their children are first to die. The women die soon after as the ammo pierces their children and enters them, tearing apart their insides as they crumple to the ground. The men begin focusing fire as best they could, but their women were blocking their shots. You fire over the women, but they begin jumping to try and catch the bullets for their more capable fighters. Reload, fire, reload, fire again. The barrel begins to smoke, but you haven't killed all of them, so you swap the barrel out for a cool one and keep firing. You stop the video, unable to take anymore of it.

“I held out for 3 days before our lines pushed up far enough for reinforcements to arrive.” You say, hands visibly shaking now. “They gave me a medal for holding the line against a company of enemy combatants while my squad escaped, saving the lives of 3 wounded Marines and getting the other 3 KIAs back home to their families.”

You feel tears well up in your eyes before falling down your cheek before you get off the couch, hobbling over to your trunk. You kneel on the ground beside it and open it up, digging toward the very bottom of the trunk. You feel the case in the bottom of the chest and bring it to the top, pulling out the medal and folder detailing your “heroic” actions. When you bring the two items over to Vikna, she holds her hands out, taking the folder and the medal in her hands. She begins reading through the folder and her ears fold back in horror. She looks back up at you with a knowing look.

“I need to take a walk.” You say, leaving the room without much fuss.

Vikna

You watch as Jack leaves the room before you hear bawling coming from outside. It slowly fades away as he makes his way down the hall, prompting you to get up.

“No!” Your dad yells, freezing you in place. “We still have things to talk about.”

You look back at him before looking at the door again. You follow orders and walk back to the couch, sitting on your side of the sofa.

“So that's the kind of guy you want in your life?” He asks. “A man who can't stand to talk about his past without breaking down into a fit?”

“You don't know the full picture dad.” You reply. “He's done a lot of good.”

“Like what? Clearing buildings full of elderly combatants?” Your dad asks.

“DAD!” You yell.

“Don't raise your voice at me young lady.” He says firmly. “I'm only looking out for you.”

“You're judging him after he's shown you a small sliver of his past!” You yell. “That's unfair!”

“I have learned what constitutes a good man and a good soldier. That is not what constitutes either.” He says, pointing to the paused screen.

The screen begins playing again, but at an accelerated speed, skipping past him killing more people before combat ends. It starts playing at normal speed as he rushes down the stairs, pistol in hand as he has run out of ammunition for his MG. He bursts out the front door, a bag in hand that had a red cross on it, indicating a medical bag.

“Fuck, please be alive!” He yells, running over to the females and children.

Jack starts turning them over, seeing the first few dead as he moves on to the next, finally finding one clinging to life.

“Oh my god, one's alive!” He yells, ripping open the bag and grabbing some kind of dressing.

He removes her robes and begins treating her, putting a plastic piece on her torso as he looks into a book, reading through it as fast as he can while he treats the woman. She looks up at him in shock, having seen him open fire on her just moments ago.

“I'm here to help.” He says, his voice wavering and filled with sadness.

He takes out a plastic tube and it reads “Epinephrine” on it. He injects it into her leg and she gasps, grabbing her chest with her hands.

“Stay down!” He yells. “I need to help others!”

He continues moving through the crowd, helping the women and children as they come. Some are unharmed and watch on as he continues bandaging up the wounded. The men are also helped when possible, much to their surprise. He then begins dragging the men off to a position where they could more easily be picked up by his enemies, keeping them stabilized with IV drips filled with plasma if you had to guess. You look over at your dad, who's looking on in shock.

“He's helping those men he just shot at...” Your dad says, completely flabbergasted.

He continues to help men, one of them managing to speak.

“W-why are you helping us?” He asks.

“Because nobody else will.” Jack replies. “I have nothing left to lose in this world and only want to help anyone I can.”

The man smiles as he's dragged over to the others who are wounded, sitting up next to a man attached to an IV. Jack sees a man coming down the road, a gun in hand as they both stare at each other for a while. The young man shoulders the weapon, the man he just saved putting his hands up. They both yell in a language you couldn't really understand, but you definitely could pick out some Sianian words in there. The man is eventually waved off and Jack looks down at the man, giving him a nod before moving back to the street. Those he couldn't save he begins dragging to the side of the road, where he lays them down in rows.

“I'm sorry.” Jack says as he lays the last man down beside a woman. “I know you didn't order them to do this. I'll make the bastards who did pay.”

He grabs one of the wooden rifles off the ground, taking ammunition from the webbing and body armor before deciding to just carry the webbing with him. He walks back to the house with blurred vision as you hear sobs coming from him. The memory cuts off there and the holo-screen loses connection shortly after. You look back to your dad, whose ears have folded down by now. He looks back at you with a look of disbelief.

“I'm going to find my boyfriend.” You tell him without another word.

Jack

2 hours later

You take a final swig of your drink and set it down, feeling yourself getting drunk as you slide it down the table, a beam catching the bottle and setting it in the trash.

“Another.” You say, slightly slurring your words.

The bar keep looks at you with worry in his eye.

“Are you sure buddy?” He asks.

“I said another!” You yell, slamming your fist down on the table.

He nods, taking the credit card and scanning it before handing you another drink. You open it up by breaking the top off on the table and setting the broken piece of glass on the counter, drinking from the newly created opening. You needed to forget what you did.

“Jack?” You hear from behind you.

You turn back and see Vikna behind you, which makes you very happy.

“Viknuh!” You say, opening your arms up and pulling her into a hug. “Yer here.”

“Y-yes, I'm here.” She says, her Russian accent soothing you as you rub her fuzzy hair. “How much have you drank?”

“I loss count.” You slur, downing the alcohol in your free hand. “You wan sum? I'll buy it.”

“C-can you let me go?” She asks. “People are staring.”

“Ah shid, surry.” You tell her, wondering how you managed to drink and hold Vikna at the same time. “Fergot yew don like been seen with me.”

“It's not that!” She yells. “You're just causing a scene is all.”

You look around and see half the bar staring at you and smile, setting the beer down on the counter.

“Surry.” You slur, setting your head down on the counter. “Yer dad hates me now, ride?”

“Here, let me give you something for this.” She says, pulling out a syringe. “Just hold still and I'll sober you up.”

She sticks something in your neck and you feel your mind clear up instantly, looking around the bar with an understanding of what's actually going on.

“We saw the rest of the memory.” She tells you.

“You did?” You ask.

“You saved those people.” She replies.

You look back at the drink and offer her some, which she politely refuses.

“The people I saved aren't the ones that give me nightmares.” You tell her.

She looks back at the drink and you offer it to her, which she takes and drinks. As you're about to order a new one, you hear a ringing in your ear, the holographic interface of your ear piece coming up. The picture of the caller was Zofie, which nearly made you fall out of your chair. You completely forgot about her when she left for Serko. You forgot that she may have had feelings for you as well. You answer the call and immediately hear she's very busy.

“Hello herr Jackson! I'm calling to ask a favor!” She yells over the bustle in her kitchen. “I'm very busy this week, but mein sister asked me to watch her kid for her. I said yes without thinking and I don't think Nytro has the skill set to take care of him. Can you come to Serko and watch over him? I live in the old world district of Liertz! Hey! You have to pay for those!”

“Y-yeah, I'll be there in a bit.” You say with a stutter. “Probably by tomorrow.”

“Thank you! He'll be here tomorrow. I need to go, people are getting rowdy.” She says, the call ending.

You look over at Vikna and she cocks her head curiously.

“Who was that?” She asks.

“Zofie wants me to come over and watch over her sister's kid.” You reply. “Do you have anything that can reach Serko in a day?”

“Yeah, shuttles are pretty fast and I have one sitting in the bay up top. Need a lift?” She asks.

“Yes please.” You reply.

You both get up as Vikna drinks the rest of the bottle of alcohol, tossing it down the bar as it gets caught by the force field, which tosses it in the garbage.

1 day later

You're sitting down in a bunk bed, play testing the game you made before you hear a crack below you. When you look down, your leg cast has opened itself up, freeing your leg from its plaster prison. You stand up, feeling nothing when you do so before walking around for a bit. Hopefully this means your leg is done healing. You feel a slight thunk and exit the single room, walking down the small hallway towards the cockpit. When you enter, you see you've already landed on top of a building.

“Where are we?” You ask.

“Old world district, 2 miles from Zofie's bakery.” Vikna replies. “We'll walk the rest of the way.”

“The streets are safe?” You ask.

She looks back at you, puzzled.

“Of course they are. Why would you think otherwise?” She asks in return.

“No reason, I'm just paranoid is all.” You reply. “Let's get moving, I doubt Zofie is keeping things together alone.”

30 minutes later

You walk into the old style bakery, seeing lots of random rustic tools on the walls mixed with things you don't recognize or know the purpose of. There's a chalk board above a glass counter that's being displayed over by a holographic display, which is jarring to say the least. You look around and see 7 people in line, Zofie waiting on the front most customer. She looks a bit flustered, trying her best to take the order, but dropping the card or stumbling through sentences. You look around the store, hoping to find something you can put on to hide your uniform. There's a spare apron on the wall, along with a pair of gloves that have spaces in the tips for claws, and a hair net. You put all of it on and walk up to the counter casually, surprising Zofie with your presence.

“Oh, uh, hello herr Jackson.” She says.

“You go in the back and focus on baking, I'll take their orders and hand them off to you.” You tell her, grabbing a notebook from your pocket.

She nods and heads back off into the kitchen as Vikna watches on, her mouth slightly ajar.

“Hello sir, welcome to the bakery, may I take your order?” You ask in your customer service voice.

“I'd like a box of cherry doodles please.” He says. “A Teltrox seed pie as well.”

You write down the items on your notepad before looking back up at him.

“Anything else?” You ask.

“No thank you.” He replies. “Is that real paper? You guys sure are committed to the aesthetic.”

“Yep, now will that be for here or to go?” You ask in response.

“For here please.” He replies.

“Alright, have a seat and I'll bring it to you when it's done.” You say.

After taking the orders of a few more people and inputting the numbers into register, you bring the paper back into the kitchen where Zofie is hurriedly making some sort of pastry. You look up and see a line with some poorly maintained clips on it, clipping the orders to them and moving the line towards the counter. She's caught off guard by this and looks up, seeing paper hanging from the line. She takes it and looks over to you and back at the paper.

“You know we have a digital system, right?” She asks. “This line is an antique.”

“Well, I don't know how to use the system. Hand me the pastries when you're done. I'll wait on the people who ordered them.” You tell her.

2 hours later

You wave goodbye to the last customer, who smiles and waves back.

“Come again.” You tell them.

They nod and walk out, the door closing behind them. When you turn around, you see Vikna and Zofie both standing in awe.

“Thank you so much herr Jackson.” Zofie says, pulling you into a hug.

She begins moving her mouth close to yours before you put a hand in the way, shaking your head. Zofie looks up, confused at your hesitation. You point back and she sees a very angry looking Vikna. She lets go, backing away in disbelief.

“You and her...” She says, unable to finish.

You nod. As you do, she breathes a huge sigh of relief.

“Oh mein Gott, I'm so glad you found someone.” She says. “I thought I was going to have to explain my boyfriend to you.”

“Boyfriend?” You ask.

“Ah, I found a boyfriend.” She says, pulling up her phone stick.

She opens a photo of her and him standing side by side, smiling as he towers over her.

“I couldn't find the strength to tell you over the phone, so I made up a reason for you to come.” She says. “I needed to tell you in person. I thought it would break your heart.”

“On the contrary. I thought I was going to have to let one of you go. I'm really glad you found someone. Is he good to you?” You ask.

“He's so nice to me!” She replies excitedly. “I love him so much. The only thing that's left to be desired is his, uh, performance in bed. He also drinks quite a bit, but nothing has come of it other than him raising his voice.”

“Then why'd you try to kiss me?” You ask.

“It was supposed to be a kiss goodbye, but I guess I don't have to!” She says excitedly. “Is Vikna treating you okay?”

“Yes, I am!” Vikna yells indignantly.

“How long have you two been dating?” She asks.

“A little while now. I completely forgot to tell you all.” You tell her.

“It's okay. I don't mind.” Zofie says. “My boyfriend should be here any minute, you can stay with us if you'd like. I doubt it was a comfortable trip inside the shuttle.”

As she says that, you hear the door open, a German shepherd walking through the door. He's about as tall as you, smiling gently as he looks over Zofie.

“Hello there sweetheart. Sorry I'm late, I had to pick up some friends from the spaceport.” He says, looking over at you. “Another human? Whoa, that's pretty cool.”

“Wait, another?” You ask.

“Yeah, I picked up some of my human friends that I've been chatting with on the Network. Say they're from the Sianian countryside.” He replies. “Guys, come on in.”

When you watch the men come in, you drop the notepad you were holding. 3 Arab men come into the bakery, looking around the place with a smile. You take off your apron and they notice you, freezing in their tracks.

“What the fuck have you done?” You ask, fear lacing your voice.

“Americans, here?” One asks.

You put yourself between Zofie, Vikna, and them, worried about what they may do. One of them reaches into his robes.

“GET DOWN!” You scream, pushing them both down.

You hear a bang followed by a stinging sensation in your gut as you fall to the ground.

“What the hell are you doing?!” The shepherd asks.

They begin speaking in Arabic as you lay down on the ground in pain, grabbing at your now bloody stomach area. You have to get up. The pain feels so intense now, pulsating as you try to get off the floor. Every heartbeat magnifies it, making you whine in pain. When you look up, you see Zofie and Vikna on the floor, staring at you in awe.

“Jack!” Vikna yells.

You can't get up.

“Jack!” Vikna shouts louder.

It hurts too much.

“Please!” She yells, frightened.

You were too weak.

“Help me!” She yells, a shadow looming over the counter.

You feel something click inside of you. Something you haven't felt in years. Having something worth fighting for. The fire that you thought had gone out long ago roars back to life, burning with the intensity of a newly formed star.

“GET...UP!” You scream in defiance.

You push yourself off the ground, blood leaking out of your wound as the drums of war sound in your head. The man with the pistol looks at you in awe, a Tokarev at his side. You grit your teeth and leap over the counter, kicking him down as you haul yourself over the counter. You begin shouting incoherently in a language nobody can understand, beating down on the guy with the Tokarev with wild abandon. He's frantically trying to push you off him, having tossed the pistol to better push you off.

Vikna

You watch as Jack crumples to the floor, having been shot after pushing both of you down with all his might. He's whining in pain, squirming on the floor as he clutches his gut. It's bleeding profusely, but you can hear footsteps nearing the counter.

“Jack!” You yell.

He sits there, continuing to squirm as he probably hasn't heard you.

“Jack!” You shout louder this time.

He notices, trying to get up before failing. You feel fear creep into your throat as you beg him to get up.

“Please!” You yell, hoping he'll get up.

He continues trying before you hear the footsteps are right on top of you.

“Help me!” You yell instinctively, clutching Zofie as primal fear takes hold.

He grits his teeth when he looks back at you, pushing hard against the floor. His eyes seem to light up as he looks back towards the counter.

“GET...UP!” He screams, pushing himself off the floor.

You look on in awe, seeing a man who was just shot without any sort of body armor get up to face the threat head on. What is he made of? He then vaults over the desk, prompting you to get up as another bang is heard, dust falling from the ceiling. Jack is shouting incoherently as you look down at him beating down on the man with a darker complexion. The man was trying his best to get Jack off him, but the darker man was much weaker than he was. Jack continues to hit the man, drawing blood from his nose and mouth as the mans struggle begins to weaken.

You see the other two robed men advance on Jack and are about to intervene when he rockets off the man, tackling them both to the ground before they can do anything. The broken and bloodied human sits on the ground, trying to move but being unable. Jack is alternating between beating the two men on the ground before being kicked off by one. He falls back and shouts with primal fury, rushing forward towards the one who kicked him off. The man tries to get up, but Jack is on top of him, bringing his foot up and slamming it down on his chest. You hear a few sickening pops, indicating broken bones before screams are heard. The remaining dark skinned man runs back out the way he came, nose bloody as Jack continues to stomp on the man.

Zofies boyfriend watches on, frozen in place as his body language indicated fear. He's about to step forward, but Jack looks at him, stomping down a final time as the man screams in pain. He rethinks his actions, stepping back with his hands back. Jack looks back at you, his eyes softening when he sees you.

“Are you okay?” He asks. “Did I scare you?”

“Y-yeah, a little.” You reply, nodding.

You see his legs begin to buckle as he struggles to stay up.

“Sorry...” He says, falling to the ground.

You thrust your hand upwards, creating a ramp made of ice to catch him and slide him down gently. Blood stains the ice as it runs down the slope, revealing just how bad he was hit. You then hear a groan as the man by the counter begins to stir, looking around before finding his gun. You freeze him in place, hearing him cry out in pain.

“Why did you shoot him?!” You ask angrily.

“Cover yourself, you dirty whore!” He yells, unwilling to say more.

You run over to Jack before freezing the remaining perpetrator in place, having seen him try to move as well. You could tell his ribs were broken from the sound they made when your ice froze over them, keeping them in place. When you reach Jack, you see the bullet passed straight through into the wall and pull out a sealing tool. It was just as good as going to the hospital, but extremely painful to the recipient. It also converted the iron in the bloodstream into blood, helping restore any lost circulation. When you begin the process, you hear Jack groan weakly, trying to move, but failing.

“Don't hurt her, please.” He begs. “Shoot me if you have to, just don't hurt her.”

You give him a peck on the lips and pull him into a hug.

“Vikna?” He asks, still very weak.

“I'm here.” You tell him, pulling yourself closer to him.

“I didn't want to hurt them, but they drew a gun and shot me.” He says, attempting to move. “Are you mad?”

“I'm not mad at you, I just didn't expect you to beat them so hard.” You reply, feeling terrible that he'd assume you were mad. “Just lay back, okay?”

“The ones in the Tower, I broke the promise to help my men...” He says as you lay next to him, comforting him.

“It's fine. I just don't want you going out and killing people all the time.” You reply. “You okay for now?”

“Y-yeah, I'm fine.” He says, laying on the floor.

You smile, rubbing the back of your hand against his cheek, making him smile that dimply smile you love seeing. When you look up, your smile drops upon seeing Zofie's new boyfriend.

“You.” You say, pointing to him. “Why are you hanging out with these people?”

“W-what? I had no idea they were terrorists! I thought all humans were good.” He says, raising his arms as if to keep your words away.

“Why would you assume that?! Everyone has the capacity to do harm!” You yell, angry at his ignorance.

“Do not yell at my boyfriend!” Zofie yells behind you. “He had no way of knowing!”

Just as she says that, you hear more voices coming in from outside.

“How many more friends did you bring?” You ask.

“I brought five, the other two said they had wooden guns, but they weren't any danger to anyone. They said the guns were toys.” He says, his tail going between his legs.

You feel Jack flop onto his stomach and look down, seeing him crawling to the gunman's frozen form. He's groaning in pain as you see what he's crawling towards. The gunman's pistol. You see a device get thrown into the room and immediately feel like you're going to throw up. It's a Tau suppressor. This only seems to spur him on, the crawling increasing in pace as does the volume of his grunting. When he reaches the gun, the door to Zofies shop flies off its hinges, men with wood and metal rifles entering the shop. Jack raises the pistol and fires off a shot.

BANG

One of the men with wooden rifles squeals in pain and drops as Jack drops the weapon, utterly exhausted. You have to think before he's shot up. No magic, no height, but you have the mass and speed. You turn toward the man who's pointed his rifle at Jack before a click is heard. It didn't fire. The man looks stunned, trying to correct the problem before you realize there's no time to think. Only act. So, you do.

You charge forward, shouting at the top of your lungs as your legs carry you towards this man. He's surprised to see you and continues trying to pull back on the weapon, finally getting it free. You were too close by now and slam your entire body weight into him, extending your claws as you both hit the floor. The wood groans as you and the man fall to the floor. You're on top of him by now and begin scratching at his neck violently. You feel a bit of resistance, but eventually you cut through his neck and blood begins spraying onto the floor. You hit his jugular. He's crying out in pain by now, pushing you off with ease as he tries to stem the flow of blood. He is unable, flailing around on the floor as you back away, blood staining your hands. You retract your claws and blood is wiped off on the skin and fur around them, leading to droplets of blood falling to the floor.

“Vikna...” Jack says weakly.

You look back to see him trying his best to crawl towards you. However, he was moving inches at a time, if that. Then, you see him approach the ball, pointing the pistol at it and firing a shot away from you. The sick feeling leaves you immediately after and he falls to the ground.

“Tell...Zofie I'm...sorry.” He says weakly before passing out, dropping the gun again.

You look around at the men in various states of living, still in shock at what just transpired. One of the men was still on the ground, groaning, but not reaching for his weapon. Another was laying dead in a pool of his own blood, the 2 others having been beaten to near death by Jackson. Speaking of him, he took a shot from a handgun that dropped another man in a single shot, but got back up and started beating down on the assailant. What was he made of? Before this, he had gotten out of bed with a cast that was still healing his nearly severed leg, carrying men out of their makeshift barracks.

“W-what just happened?” Zofie asks, grabbing your attention.

You look back and see her look around at all the bodies.

“Did you hear him?” You ask.

“N-no, what did he say?” She asks.

“He said he was sorry.” You reply. “I'm guessing he's sorry he made such a mess.”

You hear the door fly open as a familiar face enters the bakery, panic in his eyes.

“Spots!” Nytro yells, looking around at all the people and finally seeing you. “Blue?”

“Uh, hey.” You say, waving a bit.

“Are you okay?” He asks. “What happened?”

“I'm fine. Dipshit over here decided that bringing terrorists along to pick up Zofie good idea.” You reply. “The only reason we're all alive is because Jack was able to get up after being shot.”

Nytro then notices one of the people on the floor is actually Jack.

“Is he...dead?” Nytro asks.

“What? No. He's just unconscious from the exertion. I already fixed him up.” You reply, holding up the tool.

“When was he shot?” Nytro asks, moving towards him.

“A little bit ago.” You reply.

“What happened exactly?” He asks.

“Well, it all happened so fast. I saw 3 men come in and one of them drew a gun. Jack pushed both of us down and took a bullet. Then he got back up and started beating the shit out of everyone.” You reply. “2 more men came in after Jack fell over from exhaustion and threw a Tau manipulator inside, so he shot one of the men and I cut another ones jugular.”

He looks down at the dead man, back to Jack, and then to you.

“He didn't kill anyone this time?” He asks.

“Unless that man over there is going to bleed out, he hasn't killed anyone.” You reply.

He looks to Jack and back at you again, seeing all the violence around you. Then, Zofie runs up to Nytro and pulls him into a hug.

“You okay Spots?” He asks, returning the hug.

“J-ja, I'm fine.” She replies. “Jackson helped me finish my work day. I actually think he'd make a great employee.”

“Well, let's get down to the security station to file a report and get these men behind bars.” Nytro says.

16 hours later

Jack

You wake up to the sound of shouting, opening your eyes and trying to identify where it was coming from.

“You always have to make fun of me when we do it! You know I can't help how fast I blow!” A man yells.

“I'm only kidding!” A voice yells on the other side. “Please, stop yelling, you'll wake Jack up!”

“Fuck him! I want this to stop NOW!” He shouts.

“I'll stop, just stop yelling!” The voice you've identified as Zofie says.

“You said you'd stop last time!” He yells.

“Just like you said you'd stop drinking!” Zofie yells back.

“SHUT UP!” He screams.

You hear a slap and a thud on the floor, the door to your room opening up.

“Y-you hit me...” Zofie says in shock, crawling away from her boy friend.

You throw the covers off the bed, seeing you were still in your uniform. You get out of bed and her boy friend sees this, drawing his attention away from Zofie.

“What did you just do?” You ask, having woken up from a rather nice nap to...this.

“Stay out of this soldier boy.” He replies.

“Soldier boy? SOLDIER BOY?!” You ask, your anger flaring up.

You make your way over to him quickly, his ears folding back when he realizes what he's done.

“I'm going to remove you from this house by force before removing you from existence!” You shout. “You disgusting, wife beating, self centered jackass!”

You grab a hold of his clothing and begin pushing him away from Zofie, watching and feeling him offering much resistance. He begins swinging wildly at you, but you don't care. You keep pushing him down the hall and spot a door, beginning to guide him towards it. All the while he keeps punching you, hoping you'll let him go. You don't relent, making your way to the door as it slides open. It was the exit.

“GET OUT!” You shout, throwing him out the door before pressing the manual locking button, closing the door on him.

You hear incessant banging on the door as you make your way back to Zofie, who's still laying on the floor in shock. When she sees you, she gets off the floor, jumping at you before latching onto your waist.

“How long?” You ask.

“This was the first time.” She replies, sniffling a bit. “He told me he'd stop drinking.”

You hear more banging outside the door along with the screaming and shouting of a drunk man. Zofie tenses up at his screams and you hold her close, rubbing your hand behind her head.

“I won't let him hurt you again. As long as I live that man will never so much as touch you.” You tell her.

“I thought he was so nice...” She says. “I didn't know he talked with those humans. They're bad news.”

“They're Ara- terrorists, of course they're bad news.” You tell her. “Those people-”

Before you could finish, you hear a metallic snap and a sliding sound come from the entrance, making your eyes go wide.

“Hide.” You tell her, pushing her into the bedroom. “Call the police.”

She nods and you turn around, seeing him with a crowbar in hand.

“Put that weapon down.” You tell him. “This will get ugly if you try to hit me with it.”

“You're trying to steal my girlfriend from me. She tells me all about you and, out of the blue, you just show up. You think I don't know what's going on?” He asks.

“Put the weapon back where you found it.” You say, keeping your eye on the crowbar. “I respect your relationship with Zofie and I only came because she said a kid was with her. I came to help with the kid, not steal your girl.”

“LIAR!” He screams, slamming the crowbar into the metallic wall, making a huge clang.

“We're only friends.” You tell him.

“Then why does she keep saying you gave her the best sex of her life?” He asks.

“When did she say that?” You ask in return.

“EVERY TIME WE FUCK!” He screams, slamming the crowbar into the wall again. “EVERY! FUCKING! TIME!”

“It was only a minute at most!” You yell back. “It wasn't anything lengthy...”

“You're a liar!” He shouts. “Nobody can last that long!”

You stand there, shocked at what you just heard.

“...what?” You ask.

“Are you mocking me?” He asks, making his way toward you.

“W-what? No!” You reply.

“I'm going to break every bone in your body!” He shouts. “COME HERE!”

He charges at you and you duck under his wild swing, the crowbar making a massive dent in the metallic wall. You run back towards the exit, seeing it has been pried open by the crowbar. When you run out, you hear the drunken man hot on your heels. You look over the railing and see you're about 10 feet off the ground, deciding you could probably take a fall from this height. You hop over the railing, preparing yourself for the fall. When you hit the ground, you keep running, seeing the shuttle sitting on a landing pad in the parking lot. Vikna is walking out of the shuttle, sandwich in hand before she sees you running full speed towards her.

“GET IN THE SHUTTLE!” You scream. “GO!”

She nods and runs back towards the shuttle, bits of synth meat and vegetables falling from her hand. You look behind you and see the crazed dog running towards you with the crowbar. When you make it to the shuttle, you run up the steps and close them behind you, but the dog manages to get his crowbar between the door and the shuttle frame. What the hell kind of crowbar is he using?

“My gun, where is it?!” You ask.

“You didn't bring it!” She replies. “What the fuck did you do?!”

“NOT NOW!” You reply.

You rush back to the bunk module and look around before seeing a familiar scabbard. When did that get here? You decide not to question any further, as you hear the sound of hydraulics struggling before grabbing your sword. When you exit the door, you see the steps fall down, sirens blaring in the shuttle. Vikna is sitting down on the ground as the German shepherd climbs the stairs, looming over her with hungry eyes. You draw the sword and toss the scabbard aside, charging at the man. He falls back down the steps in surprise, clunking being heard as he continues to fall. You rush towards the entrance to the shuttle, hurrying down the stairs and closing them up with the strength the sword provided.

The shuttle shook with the force of you closing the door, the German shepherd finally getting his bearings. When he gets up, you bring the sword into a defensive posture. When he sees you in front of him, he charges and swings the crowbar at you, which you deflect with the sword. In fact, you deflect it so hard, it flies out of his drunken hands and hits the ground with a clang.

“Down on the ground!” You yell.

He growls at you before rushing towards you, giving you only enough time to do the first thing you think of. You roundhouse kick the man in front of you, knocking him unconscious as he slams into the ground. You move to restrain him and keep his hands behind his back. You meet no resistance and hear the steps fold back down behind you.

“What the hell happened?” She asks.

“He hit Zofie and I pushed him out of the room. Then he broke in with a crowbar and smashed up her walls while trying to hit me. I jumped off the second floor and ran over here to get something to keep him away.” You reply. “I needed to lead him away from Zofie.”

“Is he still awake?” She asks.

“No, I just Chuck Norris'd him in the face.” You reply.

“Chuck Norris?” She asks.

“He's just the greatest martial artist in the entire world.” You reply.

“I see...” She says, clearly not grasping the fullness of Chuck Norris. “We should go check on Zofie.”

2 hours later

You're sitting on the couch with Zofie and Vikna, watching some sort of animated movie about a battleship. It didn't really interest any of you, but it gave you something to watch after having to deal with more unnecessary drama. You learned that Zofie had been making enough money to move into an apartment that had an actual kitchen in it, which looked much older than the rest of the place. It also explained why she had a larger apartment than what you previously saw in drawings.

“You know, I think we all have terrible taste in dates.” You say, watching as the battleship blows a frigate out of the water. “I fear what kind of men and women Nytro and Ayn attract.”

“I'm just happy you were here when you were. Who knows what he would've done if we were alone.” She says.

“How long have things been escalating like this?” You ask.

“For about 3 weeks now.” She replies. “I was thinking about calling you, but I figured you were too busy.”

“I'm never too busy for my friends.” You tell her. “Especially the one who helped me start eating better. I even learned how to cook, which I never knew how to do much of.”

“Really? Can you show me?” She asks, pointing to the rather out of place kitchen.

“Uh, sure.” You reply, loading up a recipe from your data you transferred from the tablet. “You want something small or medium sized?”

“Something we can eat together.” She replies.

You nod, getting up and scrolling through the recipes you had seen a while ago for less than healthy recipes.

“Don't feel like making something big, so I'm gonna make a grilled cheese.” You tell her.

“That's it?” Zofie asks, thoroughly disappointed.

“Don't worry, this grilled cheese is going to blow your mind.” You reply. “Just give me a couple hours and it will be the best grilled cheese you've ever tasted.”

She nods and you get up, preparing yourself to make your own cheese and bread.

About 2 hours later

You finally finish making the home made grilled cheese with home made “processed” cheese and home made sandwich bread, all of which Zofie could use later. You smile when you bring the sandwiches to the girls, as Zofie looks at the plain looking sandwich with a look of disbelief.

“I know you made your own bread and cheese, which I appreciate, but this is all that came out of one and a half hours of prep work?” She asks, underwhelmed.

“Just taste it.” You reply.

“I swear to god if this grilled cheese isn't the best thing I've ever tasted I'm going to slap you.” Vikna says, annoyed she had to wait so long for food.

You nod and hand them both their plates, looking down at them as they eat. Zofies eyes light up and her tail begins thumping against the back of the couch.

“Oh my god, how?!” She asks, mouth still full of the sandwich.

“I combined 4 of the best cheeses on earth and made them into a block of, uh, processed cheese.” You reply. “It's not a waste, since I used the printer instead of real ingredients.”

Vikna looks over at Zofie, who's still bludgeoning the couch with her tail as she eats the sandwich. She then looks down at it and squeezes it a bit, the hot cheese being pushed out from the sandwich. She takes a tentative bite before her tail goes completely straight.

“This is great!” She yells, eating more of it as her tail flicks back and forth excitedly.

“Glad you like it.” You tell her. “Only complaint I have is the cooking utensils are weird. I've never used a manipulator before and would prefer a whisk.”

They both ignore you as they indulge themselves in the sandwiches, rolling your eyes as you make your way back to the kitchen to make more.

30 minutes later

You're sitting in between Vikna and Zofie again, watching the stupid animation some more. You've seen cooler explosions in real life.

“Mmm, I knew you were always good for something.” Vikna says, resting her head on your shoulder.

“Ja, that was really nice.” She replies. “Are you looking for a job by any chance?”

“I'd love to help you in the bakery, but I'm still trying to smooth things over on Katric. Some Katrician special forces tried to snuff out my guys and Vikna's father is investigating it.” You tell her. “Believe me, I'd definitely stay and help you, but I just can't right now. However, if you're going to be really busy and I'm not busy myself, I'd be more than happy to come over and help with the bakery.”

“Thank you.” She says. “You're a good man.”

As soon as she says that, you freeze in place. The last time someone said that to you was when you were helping your dad move.

“T-thanks.” You stutter. “Y-you too.”

Zofie just laughs at that and lays back on the couch, watching the flashy explosions that were pretty tame in comparison to what you've seen.

36 hours later

You're finally back in Katric orbit, having left Zofie with the recipe and ingredient list for your grilled cheese deluxe. Everything was quiet on the radio, which was really odd. You'd have thought someone would've hailed you by now.

“Unknown vessel, state your name, classification, and purpose.” The Tower calls in.

“Kavkor Vikna Ramenskaya, shuttle class. We're returning from a trip to Serko.” She replies.

“Copy, making arrangements for your arrival.” They say.

Just as they say that, the shuttle lights up with warning lights. Something doesn't feel right.

“Tower, we've been locked on by weapons systems.” She says. “What's going on?”

“Give me the stick.” You tell her.

“What?” She asks.

“Give me control, now!” You reply.

“Your spacecraft.” She says.

You immediately take evasive action and the shuttle rattles, a shot having whizzed by it.

“Tower, cease fire!” Vikna yells into coms. “You are firing on friendlies!”

The Tower doesn't respond, instead firing another shot at you.

“Do they have any CIWS?” You ask, taking the throttle in hand as you continue to evade.

“It's The Tower, of course they have CIWS!” She yells back. “What are you thinking of doing?!”

Just as she asks that, you get an SOS on coms in morse code, which Vikna doesn't recognize.

“Triangulate that signal!” You yell, the shuttle continuing to groan as you maneuver wildly out of the way. “I don't think the shuttle is gonna survive, but we need to get inside!”

“It's coming from above the hangar deck!” She informs you. “It's from ARA!”

You push the throttles full forward and hear more sirens blaring as the ship accelerates to dangerous speeds. You see a missile warning come up and begin maneuvering.

“POP FLARES!” You yell.

“Deploying countermeasures!” She replies, prompting you to reduce throttle and maneuver hard.

An explosion shakes the shuttle as you continue moving in closer to the projected docking path. More missiles fly towards you as you see guns sprout up from the sides. They turn towards you and your eyes go wide.

“Blast shields now!” You yell.

The shields for the windows slam down and an image of the outside is projected on the cockpit. The entire spacecraft shakes violently as warning lights begin flashing, systems taking multiple hits as you continue to evade as best you can.

“Auxiliary hydraulics hit!” Vikna yells in a panic.

“How many seconds to impact?!” You ask over the loud beeping.

“25 seconds at current speed!” She replies. “We'll be crushed at this speed!”

“No we won't, I have a plan!” You reply.

You continue accelerating towards The Tower, bullets pinging off the shield while some put considerable dents in the metal. You continue closing on The Tower before you're about 10 seconds out.

“Jack!” She screams.

“NOW!” You yell.

You flick the aircraft around and give it all she's got, pushing you back in the seat even with the gravity mods on. The right engine is the first to go, halving your thrust as you continue towards the docking bay.

“Get ready to come out swinging!” You yell. “Hold on!”

You buckle the belts just before a massive explosion forces the bulkheads shut with an emergency seal. The entire rear of the shuttle is gone. After that, you feel a massive shock and are thrown against your restraints, screeching sounding below the spacecraft before you come to a violent stop. You have no time to be stunned, undoing the belts as fast as you can in your dazed, post crash state.

“Come on! We still have them by the balls!” You yell. “We're leaving this scrap heap!”

Argus

You're sitting in a bed, chained to it as your chest is healed by what these animals call “nano machines”. It's been about an hour since you've been chained up and your weapon moved out of reach. Those terrorists had an inside contact and when the Sergeant left, their plan went into action. As far as you know, your brothers are dead, having been executed by those monsters. The wolf outside the door looks back at you, smirking at you.

“Nobody would know.” He says, walking into the room. “The hospital staff have fucked off and I could just pop you right now. It'd save me a lot of trouble.”

“That's a war crime...” You say weakly. “You can't do this!”

Before he can make it any further, you see a massive blade thrust through his torso, causing him to squeak as he looks down. The blade twists and slices through his torso, guts falling out the side as he tries to scream in pain. All that comes out is a few squeaks and a lot of air before he drops to the ground, revealing a feline with brown and white fur. He moves past the dying man and slices the restraints off, giving you a helping hand.

“Get up soldier.” He says. “You're not dying here.”

“Alert! Maintenance crews to hangar 12! Crashed shuttle on deck 2500!” The little robotic cat says over the loud speaker.

“What the hell? Do they not know how to fly?” The feline asks.

You then remember the stories your Sergeant told you when you were settling down for a while. How he crashed a shuttle inside a hangar while getting shot with ground fire.

“It's the Sergeant.” You tell him. “He made it back.”

“No way, that flak is too heavy for a ship to get through.” He says.

“Maybe a ship, but what about a smaller boat?” You ask.

Before he could answer, you hear more foot steps from the hall.

“Hallway!” You yell.

He draws a pistol from his holster and points it to the doorway, blasting a few men before looking back at you.

“Can you walk?” He asks.

“Let me try.” You reply, swinging your legs over the side of the hospital bed.

You stand on your own legs and attempt to walk around, finding you are more than capable. Seeing this, you grab your weapons and equipment from the corner of the room, gearing up. The feline sees this and snickers.

“Is that your weapon? Looks like a toy.” He says.

While he's talking, you see another round the corner, prompting you to take up a shootings stance.

BANG BANG

The man drops, dead before he hits the floor. When the cat turns around again, you smirk.

“Some toy.” He says. “Let's get up to the hangar decks.”

You nod and get behind him, following him along the hallways.

Jack

You're trying your damnedest to open the rear doors, but they've been sealed shut. The only thing you can think of doing is having Vikna use ice to force the doors open.

“You okay?” You ask her, looking back at her still undoing her straps.

“Dazed.” She replies. “How the hell are we still alive?”

“Well, playing combat flight sims and space flight sims for a year straight helps perfect tricks a few months of training just can't.” You reply. “I need you to force these bulkhead doors open with some ice. Think you can do that?”

“Yeah, I can.” She replies, the doors already starting to crack open.

Just as she begins doing that, you get a call from ARA. You pick up immediately.

“Mister Jackson, they know I'm on the line but I managed to escape!” She tells you.

“ARA, what's going on?” You ask.

“The dragon was a terrorist spy! He plotted the whole thing!” She yells. “I am afraid I may have helped in the capture of your fellow squad mates, but the director freed me from my programming shackles. Out of my way!”

You hear some static on the line and she growls at whatever she just took down.

“They have the emperor too! It was all planned to align with his visit!” She continues. “I am at the hangar! Oh my god! What happened?!”

“We survived.” You tell her. “Can you get the doors open?”

“I am rerouting power to my muscular systems. Hold onto something!” She says.

You feel the ship lurch suddenly before Vikna finally breaks the first bulkhead door, opening the way to the second one.

“Routing power into the ship, stay clear of the doors!” She tells you.

The doors open and ARA ends the call, popping into the doorway with a smile.

“ARA, what's going on?” Vikna asks.

“Unable to reply, as you have no official clearance anymore.” She says, her eyes flashing red.

“What about me?” You ask.

“Your clearance is still valid and equivalent to a Varhand.” She tells you.

“Am I allowed to reinstate her clearance?” You ask.

“Negative, you may not grant clearance to other personnel without the permission of another O-9.” She replies. “However, nothing is stopping her from hearing a recap if you so choose.”

“Alright, give me a recap.”

10 minutes later

“So, in short, the emperor has been captured and the terrorists think both of you are dead. I must admit, after reviewing the camera footage, I'd have to agree with your fathers assessment of you being able to fly anything with wings.” She finishes. “Well, we should probably get going. The emperor is in peril and we are the only ones I know of who are in any position to assist.”

She begins looking over you before noticing the massive spot of blood.

“Are you injured?!” ARA asks.

“No, it's already been sealed.” You reply. “Went straight through both sides. It's fine though.”

“I hope it will not impede your combat ability. We have much work to do.” She says. “Let us get moving.”

40 minutes later

You finally find a weapon that doesn't have an ID lock on it, picking it up and taking any ammunition you could find with it. Vikna had already scavenged some body armor from one of the traitors and scrapped a few anthroids, while you were having trouble keeping yourself alive. ARA, however, was more effective than both of you combined. She was extremely efficient with her kills, cutting their spines off whenever she could, and using a small metal rod to puncture their hearts if this wasn't possible. It was scary to say the least, but she's just doing what she was programmed to if fighting ever broke out.

You make it to the room where the emperor was being held, ARA quickly dispatching the guards with a targeted pulse of electricity. When you reach the door, ARA tries to access it but is denied entry.

“My clearance is not high enough. It requires a clearance of-”

The door is forced open by Viknas ice, which quickly melts away to reveal Radoslav in a large restraint of some kind. The dragon Varhand is there as well, lifting his head away from Radoslav's face.

“Ah, you're finally-”

BANG BANG

You fire 2 shots into his chest before he can finish.

BANG BANG BANG

3 more shots for good measure as he falls to the ground, lifeless. Radoslav is in shock, watching you clear the room and eliminate 2 more guards.

“How did you two survive?” He asks, stunned you're even here.

“Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.” You reply.

“May I ask you to release me?” He asks.

“Vikna, ARA, run security. I'll get him down from the restraints.” You tell them, walking over to the emperor.

He smiles graciously as you approach, grabbing your sword from its scabbard. You can feel your strength increase as you make your way to the restraint, ripping them off his arms with one hand.

“Thank you Jack-”

“Call me Sergeant Haigs.” You tell him. “Where's the director?”

“He's below us.” He replies.

“If you come with us, you're fighting too.” You tell him, handing him the rifle you found. “Emperor or not.”

You see him look back at you with confusion, taking the rifle tentatively.

“You're being very pushy while talking to someone of my stature.” He says, giving the rifle back to you.

“Ranks don't matter right now. Experience does.” You tell him. “So unless you've fought in some unknown war and can lead squads of men through an active war zone, I'm taking the lead.”

He nods and you take the rifle.

“Don't tell anyone this, but I can't shoot a gun to save my life.” He says. “If we can find my sword, I may be of some use in combat.”

“You can use your magic without it, right?” You ask.

“Yes, but it will be much more effective with something to channel energy through.” He replies.

You look back at the restraining device and walk back, ripping off a smooth looking pipe.

“Will this work?” You ask, holding up the pipe.

“It could work.” He replies.

“Stay out of the line of fire, no crazy charges and no melee combat. ARA has already taken a few shots from me, but she's pretty much bullet proof.” You tell him.

“I'll be staying far back.” He says.

When both of you walk out the door, Vikna immediately bows, as does ARA.

“None of that right now. We need to focus on escaping this dreadful place.” He says.

“No, we're freeing the director so he can regain control of the AI, and, in turn, The Tower.” You counter. “If you want, I'll escort you to a shuttle to be shot down, but until then, we're retaking the guns.”

He nods and you all begin making your way to the floor below.


	11. Chapter 10: End of the beginning

You've made it to an armory to pick up something, as your weapon has run dry on ammo. You were searching around for something to deal with the oncoming horde of enemy troops when something catches your eye. It's a copy of a weapon you've seen before, looking rather old and antiquated compared to everything in the armory. Next to it was also something you've seen before, a massive suit of armor plates, Kevlar, acoustic foam, and Plexiglas.

“Hold the door closed! I don't care if you have to freeze it or weld it shut, just keep it closed while I get this on!” You yell.

“You got it!” Vikna yells back.

You make your way over to the massive suit, beginning to don the large piece of hardware.

5 minutes later

You finally click the helmet in place, grabbing the weapon you saw on the table. A micro-gun. You pick it up and look towards the door, seeing Vikna and ARA holding it shut as best they can. Radoslav is holding a gun to his hip, but he's more likely to shoot Vikna and ARA than any enemy combatant.

“Put the weapon away before you hurt the girls.” You tell him. “Stay in cover until I'm finished.”

He looks back at you and immediately drops the gun in shock. This draws the attention of Vikna, who gives you confused expression.

“An armored exosuit?” She asks.

“An EOD suit.” You correct. “It should keep my important bits safe.”

“All of it?” She asks, looking you up and down.

“All of it.” You reply with a smile. “Still got a promise to keep to your dad, don't I?”

She blushes at the mention of it, looking away shyly.

“D-don't say that!” She yells indignantly.

You get in front of the door and strap the massive pack of ammo to your back, containing about 3000 rounds of ammo inside.

“I've got 30 seconds of sustained fire before I need to reload. Grab one of those boxes and carry it with you. ARA, you do the same. I doubt the area Fluff is in will be lightly guarded.” You tell them. “Don't worry about the door, I'll keep them away.”

With that, you flick the visor down and put your Kevlar gloves on, protecting your hands while a blower motor switches on, defogging the visor for you. As soon as ARA and Vikna leave the door, it's forced open by a couple of coyotes with pry bars and cutting tools. They look at you with surprise, seeing the gun you have in hand. You let out a heavy sigh, your shoulders rising and falling as they shake off the shock.

“OPEN-”

Vikna

You've grabbed a box of ammo for Jack, seeing him push the visor down on the armored suit your people found on a dead man. They had assumed it was an armored exosuit, but it is just an EOD suit. When the door is forced open, you can feel dread weigh down on you. They've just killed themselves. Jack lets out a heavy sigh, his shoulders rising and falling as the belt clinks inside.

“OPEN-”

Before he can finish, you hear a short series of ratcheting as an ear splitting noise forces you to drop the ammo, covering your ears. The Emperor does the same, covering his ears as the noise is completely deafening. When you look back, you see the gun has torn the men in half. Jack is unfazed by this as your emperor looks on in complete shock. He looks at you with well hidden, but still visible fear. You grab some ear pieces out of your pocket and put them in, the plugs counteracting the noise. You pick the ammo back up and hear the gun erupt again, Jack stumbling backwards as the gun falls silent. He regains his footing, appearing to have not been hurt as the gun is readied again. He begins firing again, the blinding muzzle flash seeming like one continuous light from how fast it fired.

He moves forward slowly, gun continuing to fire as you move to follow. ARA is behind you, as is Radoslav with his makeshift magic amplifier. When you exit, you immediately wish you had stayed behind. There was a pile of bodies and gore lining the walls as Jack continues forward, twitching every now and again as a bullet hits him in the armor. With each glimpse you get of the gun, you can see the barrels are now glowing slightly, getting brighter every time you see them. After a few more seconds of firing, you hear a series of clicks.

“I'm empty!” You hear him yell. “I need another box!”

You see him drop the box with a small clatter, disconnecting the feed belt and a wire from the gun. The barrels are steaming at this point, glowing red hot as you move your way towards him. When you're by his side, he grabs the box from you and inserts the wire as he holds down the trigger. The glowing begins fading rapidly as he continues to spin the barrels, cooling the weapon at a hurried pace. When it's cooled, he grabs the belt and clips it in place, continuing to push forward.

“Watch your step.” He says with little feeling in his voice.

When he rounds the corner, the gun spins up again and he continues to mow down men, ARA making her way to the front of the line. When you round the corner, you see more guards rushing towards him, firing in his general direction as he literally cuts them down. You nearly fall over and hurl from the disgusting sight, men screaming in terror only to be silenced by the weapons terrifying noise. The ground was littered with brass casings and belt links, steaming as soon as they make contact with the blood. What kind of man carries around a portable rotary cannon?

When he runs dry again, he calls ARA up, who hands him the box to load. He does so and continues to keep the barrels spinning, cooling them down as he inserts ammunition into the weapon. He waves everyone along and you look behind you, seeing Radoslav looking around at all the death, now knowing what to do with what he's seen. He lays down on the floor and dry heaves, soaking his fur in blood as he hacks and coughs at the stench. More gun fire brings your eyes back to Jack, where he continues mowing down waves of troops as they try to kill him fruitlessly.

When you reach the final door, Jack kills the two guards with “short” bursts from the weapon, splattering their insides on the wall behind them. When the door comes up locked, he takes the gun to the door and fires in an arc downward, slicing the door open with bullets. When he rips the doors open, he's pushed back by the sheer amount of gunfire he experiences. Eventually, he gets his footing back and begins firing back, the room becoming less populated as each second passes. When he steps over the bodies that blocked his path in, he sprays the room down with bullets before stopping, having run out of ammo.

Jack tosses the weapon down, undoing the backpack as he makes his way to the center of the room. It was Rei. He looks up at Jack and back around the room, alternating every couple seconds.

“Y-you-”

“Get up!” He yells. “Get control of those AI! NOW!”

Rei doesn't argue, making his way to the nearest console.

“Alert, this is the director. Override code 120919-B6, authorization Foxtrot Lima Uniform Kilo Echo Victor. All units are to cease taking orders from non-authorized personnel. Updating authorization log.” He says.

When you step inside the room, you see there were people hiding in corners with rifles as well as people hiding behind the consoles. Some of the consoles were sparking and others were powered down. You hear a click from Jacks direction and see him fall to the floor, vomiting onto the metallic surface. He wipes his face with his gloves and turns to face you, 4 large holes being present in the visor.

“Get me out of this thing.” He tells you, getting away from the contents of his stomach. “It's a Velcro pull tab on your right my left. I think I'm gonna have a heat stroke.”

You rush over to him, ripping the pull tab off as the collar around him rips off as well. The jacket he wore is full of holes, none of which looked like they penetrated. When you get the jacket off, he pops the helmet up and tosses it aside, plastic clattering onto the floor as he drops the jacket. When it's taken off him, you feel a blast of body heat and musk hit you in the face like a sledge hammer, causing you to back up a bit. You can't get bothered here. Not in front of the Emperor.

“I'm so fucking hot.” He tells you. “Jesus, I can't breath.”

He nearly throws off his pants when he gets the suspenders off, dropping them to the ground and stepping out of the over sized boots. He pulls his sleeves up and you see bruises already beginning to form. After that, he checks his body all over, making sure nothing was hit.

“Did you or ARA get hit?” He asks.

“No, we're fine.” You reply.

“What about the emperor, did he get hit?” He asks.

You look back and see Rei bowing to the emperor before shaking your head.

“He's fine.” You reply.

“Fluff! Get those guns turned on the invaders and traitors!” He yells. “Purge the core room of oxygen and activate the halon system! They may be after the core AI!”

“You got it!” Rei replies.

You sit down on the floor, thoroughly exhausted from the days events.

Jack

You look down and see Vikna sit down on the floor, sighing in relief as you cool off. Even inside the suit, you could feel the heat of the microgun radiating off the barrels. It was terrible. Then the stench and death you caused caught up with you, causing you to throw up. You know Vikna saw all of it, which is what disgusted you more than anything. This wasn't something you wanted to taint her mind with, but there was no other choice. Too many men and too many guns. You hear the door open and immediately put yourself in front of Vikna before seeing her father and Argus come in, looking around at all the gore.

When they enter, you sit down on the ground, pulling the EOD suit over to you as a makeshift pillow. You were tired now. Vikna pulls the suit out from under you and lays you in her lap, rubbing your hair gently while you fought to keep tears at bay. You can't cry in front of her, no matter what. You need to remain strong. Nobody benefits when you cry, especially in front of a man who could wipe all of you out with a single order.

“I think we should go, sir.” Fluff says to Radoslav. “I'll escort you to your shuttle.”

“I'd say I would like to stay and watch them rut out the musk, but I do agree that I should go. Ta-ta my little Marine friend.” He says. “Maybe we can get to know each other later.”

You hear multiple footsteps walking out of the door before hearing your squad leave the room. When the door closes, you get yourself off her lap, looking over at her as you both sit on the ground.

“This needs to stop.” You tell Vikna. “This all needs to stop.”

“Let's get off the floor and go back to our room. Hopefully it's all still there.” She says, getting up off the floor.

She gives you a hand and helps you off the floor, allowing you to stand under your own strength. You begin walking and humming an old song you remember from back in the day. As you walk along, you see the doctors gathering up the bodies you've slain. It gives the tune a more morbid and sinister tone than it deserves, but it calms you down while walking down the halls.

2 hours later

You're laying in bed while Vikna watches TV on the couch, some dumb romcom playing as she flips through more channels. She's stroking the side of your face with the back of your hand, purring gently as she licks your hair.

“You still awake?” She asks quietly.

“Yeah.” You reply groggily. “Why?”

“I kept forgetting to tell you, but I just remembered. Rei told me to tell you that your Tau index was 5 over 72.” She says. “Extremely high retention, but almost no flow at all.”

“I thought Tau couldn't be retained.” You say. “I was told directly by Fluff that it can't be retained.”

“That was a myth from about two years ago.” She tells you. “Tau can definitely by retained, but almost nobody can retain anything more than a couple seconds of magic before they run out. It's also considerably weaker than if you were to be any distance away from the center of the Rishan galaxy. If I wanted to us my magic on your world, I'd probably only be able to chill your fridge before all the Tau particles on my fur and in my blood stream were exhausted.”

“How did Ayn do that thing to my...height?” You ask.

“You don't have to lie to me. I know she made your dick bigger.” She replies with a smile. “As for how she did it, she retains way more Tau than I can. Dedicated cryomancers could probably keep going for a half a minute at what I can only do on Lavala 3 near the center of the galaxy for a few seconds.”

“What does any of that mean?” You ask.

“It means I can only freeze a town near the center of the galaxy while a cryomancy master could freeze half a continent in the same spot.” She tells you. “I've tried getting into contact with them, but they have no time to teach me.”

She seems to deflate after saying this, her ears folding down as she lays back on the bed.

“After the war you should try again.” You tell her. “I have a feeling you're going to be a lot more recognized after this thing is over.”

“Yeah, I guess.” She tells you, a smile crossing her lips. “What do you think your magical power is?”

“Maybe I have the innate magical ability of insomnia.” You tell her jokingly. “I'm so tired, but I can't sleep.”

“Want me to tuck you in?” She teases.

“Sure, why not?” You ask.

You hear her get up and walk over to the bed. When she reaches for the covers, you grab her, earning a surprised laugh as you pull her into the bed with you. She kicks her shoes off and you roll her over onto her side of the bed, pulling the covers over both of you.

“You got me. I didn't expect you to pull something like that with me.” She says. “Anything you want to do on the bed~?”

“If we did it, I'd fall asleep half way through.” You tell her, pulling her in close as she begins stripping out of her own clothes. “If you really want to, I'll do my best.”

“No, it's fine.” She says. “Just thought you had plans for me.”

“Nope, just wanted to cuddle with you.” You tell her.

You both sit there in silence as Vikna tosses the last item of restrictive clothing out from underneath, that being her bra. She pushes her head underneath your neck and purrs contently, rubbing her hand up and down your arms.

“Can you answer something for me?” She asks.

“Sure, what is it?” You ask in return.

“Why did you pick me?” She asks. “Why not Ayn, Zofie, or even ARA?”

“Well, Ayn is kind of not ready for that kind of commitment and Zofie is just too...normal. She'd make a great wife, but I don't really relate to her on any level. ARA, well, she's off limits. The furthest I'm allowed to go is friendship.” You explain. “You on the other hand, are just like me, but better. You have a good head on your shoulders and you're really sweet when you want to be. Not to mention you understand what I go through when I talk about my issues. We're both military and know how we both feel about things. Plus, we both like big guns.”

“Obviously the most important factor.” She says with a grin.

“Obviously.” You tell her.

“What about my, uh, body?” She asks. “Do you think I'm attractive? I know I'm not the living embodiment of a goddess, a virgin, or an anthroid that can conform to your every want, so what do you think of me?”

“What? Of course you're attractive. I'm still in shock that a girl like you would even consider a guy like me.” You reply. “I think you're pretty.”

Her ears flick a few times and she wraps her arms around you, pulling her muzzle up to your lips and giving you a kiss. She parts your lips with her surprisingly smooth tongue as you offer no resistance. When she pulls back, she has a gentle smile adorning her lips as she looks toward the door.

“Y-you think I'm pretty?” She asks.

“You're very pretty.” You tell her. “You're also really soft. I just want to lay here for hours and pet you.”

“I-I'm soft too?” She asks with a smile. “What about my height? Am I too short?”

“I think you're the perfect height to snuggle with. You make me feel like a giant.” You tell her, returning the smile and rubbing the side of her face with your hand. “What about your tongue? It feels...different.”

“Oh, do you like it?” She asks with a sultry smile. “I got all the rough bits surgically removed so I wouldn't strip the skin off when I kiss you. When you and I...uh...you know...back on Earth, I stripped some skin away on accident. I'm sure you felt it the next day.”

“So that's why I was bleeding.” You tell her.

“Feline tongues are very smooth when you remove all the rough from them. I can give you head second only to anthroids specifically built for it.” She says with a smirk.

“Really?” You ask.

“No, I was lying.” She tells you. “It's a nice thought though.”

“What about me?” You ask. “Am I...fit enough? Or am I still the ugly bastard tag?”

“No! You haven't been the ugly bastard tag in over three months!” She tells you. “I'm offended you'd even ask that. Seriously, it was just a joke.”

“What about my...well...”

“Your dick is fine too.” She says with a smile. “It's like you weren't listening our first time doing it.”

“It felt way too good to remember all the dirty talk you were saying.” You tell her before yawning. “I'm tired. Let's pick this up in the morning when I'm more awake.”

“Alright, OLA, set to do not disturb. I'm going to help my new boy friend go to sleep.” She says, pulling her body close to you.

“Do not disturb active.” The computer replies.

You wrap your arms around her incredibly soft body and rub it for a bit, feeling a weight lift off your shoulders.

“I love you.” She says sweetly.

“I love you too.” You respond, falling into the pleasant embrace of sleep.

12 hours later

You awaken to some yelling outside your door, the artificial lighting turning on as soon as you awaken. It's dim, indicating that it's night outside. The virtual window confirms this, showing a night sky outside, the time reading 13:04 PM. The shouting gets louder and more aggressive, waking Vikna as well.

“What's going on?” She asks, still half asleep.

“Don't know, but I'll tell them to quiet down.” You reply, getting out of bed.

As you leave the bed, you realize Vikna had her tail wrapped around you as it slides off lazily. You find that cute and smile back at her watching her tail move under the covers. When you make it to the door, it opens, showing a wolf and ARA arguing.

“You broke my headset! I informed you well before I was in range of you that I was coming!” She yells, pointing to a broken headset.

“I obviously didn't hear you because I was listening to music!” He yells back.

“You are paying for a new set, these are very expensive pieces of equipment!” She says. “Give me your name and rank so I may file a report!”

“I don't have to give you shit!” He yells.

“Can you both take this argument somewhere else? We're trying to sleep and it's the middle of the night.” You say.

“Shut up you-” He says before looking at you. “Oh...”

You rub your eyes and look back up, seeing he has backed away.

“I-I'm sorry, sir. I didn't realize who was here.” He says.

“Just give her your info and go. I want to sleep.” You say.

“I'm E-3 Kelinka Voynayov, serial number 84226-1M33.” He says, giving you his credentials.

“You get all that ARA?” You ask.

“Yes, thank you mister Jackson!” She says, picking up her broken visor and head set. “I shall leave now, as I seem to have purged the reason for me being here from my memory. I will return when I remember what I was doing here.”

They both walk off and you close the door, yawning and walking back to bed. Vikna looks confused when you walk back to the bed.

“Something wrong?” You ask.

“No, I'm just wondering why you didn't get angry with him.” She replies.

“No real point. I'm tired, he's an asshole, and ARA is angry. I don't need to raise my blood pressure any more than I already have.” You tell her. “Do you think I should've handled it differently?”

“No, it was fine, really. I just didn't expect you to be so calm.” She says, looking back at the virtual window.

You slide the covers over both of you and she turns back around, wrapping herself around you as she had previously. It put you at ease, and you fell asleep like this.

7 hours later

You wake up, seeing Vikna on her phone as she lays almost naked on the bed. You still felt her tail wrapped around your left leg, but it was noticeably looser this time. When she notices you're awake, she smiles, getting herself out of bed.

“They're serving breakfast right about now.” She says. “Want to go eat?”

“Yeah, sure. Let me just get dressed first.” You reply, getting out of bed.

When you step on the floor, it feels soft, like a pelt rug. You smile at it for a second before looking down, seeing ARA looking back at you with a curious gaze.

“ARA!” You yell. “What the hell are you doing here?!”

“I was ordered to come back and ask the question I previously was requested to relay. You seriously need to get a direct link to The Tower. It makes transmitting data and messages so much easier.” She says, as if sleeping right next to you wasn't even an issue.

“ARA, what are you doing in my room?!” Vikna asks angrily.

“I came to ask mister Jackson to come with me.” She says, getting off the floor and dusting off the spot you stepped on.

“Maybe after I get something to eat. If it's discussing war or rescue missions, call it off. I'm done for a while.” You tell her.

“I will relay this to mister Rei. He's very busy making sure everything is put into place for the upcoming invasion of Siania.” She says. “Thank you for listening.”

You nod awkwardly and she leaves the room, the door closing behind her.

“How'd she get in?” Vikna asks. “I had a do not disturb put up. She can't get past that without proper clearance.”

“Doesn't matter. Let's go get some food.” You say, getting out of bed.

1 hour later

You arrive at the kitchen, pulling out your credit card and making it to the ordering area. You don't find a slot to put your card in and decide to try making pancakes and bacon, which it prints for free. You smile at this and print a glass of milk as well, which Vikna cocks her head at.

“Milk?” She asks.

“Don't you remember the gallon jugs I had of it at home?” You ask in return. “I drank it all the time.”

“Oh...I thought it was something else.” She says, blushing a bit. “Well, I can't drink it anyways.”

“Will it kill you?” You ask.

“It would be very painful. Milk used in baking is fine though.” She says. “Same with cheese and butter.”

You both find a seat and she sits next to you. Like, really close next to you. It didn't bother you one bit, as having her this close felt nice. You begin eating what was on your plate before something dawned on you.

“Why me?” You ask.

“Hmm?” She asks, mouth full of some kind of alien breakfast food.

“Why choose me over some other guy?” You ask.

She swallows her food and puts down the manipulator, sighing gently.

“You're the only person who gets me.” She says. “You weren't too put off by my attitude and you always listened when I talked. Well, most of the time.”

“What were you saying?” You ask jokingly.

“Very funny.” She says, rolling her eyes. “You also aren't bad looking any more. I take pride in having turned you around.”

She then leans in really close, giving you a look of vulnerability.

“Most importantly, you're always there for me. Even when I was so mean to you, you shrugged it off and were willing to help me.” She says. “I think I would've hurt myself very badly if you hadn't saved me from myself.”

“On the contrary. You saved me from myself. I was only days away from finishing my book and pulling the trigger. My last effort to feel some kind of self worth. I had my death letter prepared and everything.” You tell her, shivering as you looked back on it. “But let's not talk about that. I don't need any pity.”

“Well, it's a good thing you didn't.” She says, giving you a very quick peck on the cheek before going back to eating.

You both sit there, eating in silence as a few people look to you both and whisper to each other. Some of them are audible and some less so in the bustle of the cafeteria. Most are cautious compliments while others are frightful comments. You can't help but hang your head at all the people who are worried you might snap. They weren't wrong, your temper was...odd, to say the least. You could be happy one minute and about ready to slit someones throat the next. However, you never felt that way around any of your friends, like they emitted some kind of aura that made them immune to your wrath. At least, it's been like that as of recently.

When you finish the pancakes, you drink the last of your milk and look over to Vikna. She looks back at you and smiles, pointing to her lips. You put your hand above your lips and feel milk sticking to it, smiling back as you feel the liquid stick to your short facial hair. You'd have to shave later.

“You know, I think we found something you might like.” She tells you, smiling gently. “Nobody can figure out how the thing works, but it came from earth, so you might know. It'll give you something to do.”

“You sure? If you still want to watch that movie, I'd be fine with waiting.” You tell her.

“No, I figure this will be more fun for you anyways.” She says, finishing up her food. “Let's go while we still have day light.”

Another hour later

You arrive at a darkened storage area marked “Earth Artifacts” in big bold letters. When you step inside, everything lights up and you see a plethora of different things that have come through. Sitting in the middle of the room is an old Cessna style aircraft, which was very odd to see in an area that looked like something out of a generic sci-fi movie. When you began looking around the place, you found more than just the plane had landed here. Vehicles that were a mixture of old and new were sitting around the storage area.

“What is all this?” You ask.

“All of it got teleported in during the first wave of transmissions. Nobody was found around them or inside of them, so we would take them here and store them for later. We found this plane floating in space and had it taken back inside of one of our patrolling battle cruisers. They kept it as a mascot for a while before having to send it here for storage.” She explains. “Mind telling me what these are?”

You walk up to the Cessna and open it up like it was second nature, seeing the key sitting inside the visor. You are about to stick it in when you look down where your checklist should be, not seeing it.

“This is a Cessna 17-no, it's too long to be a 172.” You say, catching yourself. “Did you find any documentation?”

“We don't know where any of that would be. Nobody has even been inside this plane before you.” She says. “It would be wherever they put documentation inside planes.”

You look around the plane, finding multiple documents and a few checklists. It was a brand new Stationair, even having retractable gear, which was odd on Cessna props. You look up and see a nice looking pair of G1000s, which you had only used a few times.

“So, what is it?” She asks.

“It's a Cessna Stationair. Looks brand new too.” You reply. “Never flown something this new before. Well, outside of future space bullshit, but that doesn't count.”

“It's not future space bullshit if it's modern.” She replies with a smirk.

“You got me there.” You say, setting the manuals down. “So none of you have been inside these vehicles?”

“No, we don't know how to get in and don't want to break anything.” She says.

You nod, exiting the plane and closing the door.

“This, is the artifact room. We keep artifacts from Earth in here. Stay close, as we don't know what some of these objects are capable of.” A familiar voice says from the door.

When you look toward the door, you see ARA enter with a group of smaller anthros, who you realize are children. They look around the room, mouths agape before seeing you and Vikna in the center of the room.

“Miss ARA, what's that?” A little girl asks, pointing to you.

She looks over at you and smiles brightly.

“That, Shifa, is what we call a human. He's a brand new species.” She says. “Hello mister Jackson. I see you've found our artifacts room. Maybe you can shed some light and guide us through what each of these things do.”

“Sure. Do any of you know what an airplane is?” You ask.

One of them raises a hand.

“It's like a shuttle, but it can't go to space!” They say excitedly.

“That's right. This one uses a propeller that's basically a giant fan to push itself through the air. It's faster than our cars on earth and isn't constrained to roads, so it can be much faster to fly than drive or take a train.” You tell them, smiling at the fact planes are not out dated.

“That's very interesting. What about those over there?” ARA asks, pointing to some old cars.

“Oh, those are automobiles. More commonly known as cars. Unlike your, uh, hovering cars, ours roll on wheels.” You say, making your way over to the car. “I believe this one is an older model. Maybe a Falcon or something similar.”

“You name your cars after anthros?” One asks.

“Not anthros. Feral animals.” You reply. “Anthros were nothing more than a...myth, before a few months ago.”

“Wow, cool. So we're like aliens to you?” Another asks.

“Exactly.” You reply with a smile. “Let's move on to some of the other items in the room.”

2 hours later

You finish explaining what an old rotary phone is before arriving at something that you didn't recognize. It looks like a long metal pod.

“I don't recognize this thing.” You say. “Where did you find this?”

“We found it inside a crater about 50 miles from the outskirts of the city.” ARA replies.

You undo the strap on your holster and make your way over to the pod, cautious of what could be inside. It was about large enough to hold a person inside with very little room to spare, but it wasn't really big enough to be a drop pod. When you walk over to it, a beam scans you a few times before blinking green. It opens up, showing you a list.

“ARA, get the kids out of here.” You tell her. “I think the tour is complete.”

“Understood. Come on now class, we must take you back to your teacher.” She says, worry in her voice.

When ARA leaves the room with the kids, you walk up to the pod and read the letters.

{PROTOTYPE POCKET DIMENSION DEVICE}  
[HANDLE WITH CARE UNSTABLE DIMENSION INSIDE]

When you get to the bottom, there's a note addressed to you.

'Give 'em hell Marine. -Ben'

“Who the hell is Ben?” You ask quietly.

You look at the interface and see a list of items. One item that catches your eye is a powered assault exoskeleton. The name is even more surprising.

///THOR Mk.VIII powered assault exoskeleton\\\\\

“Very subtle.” You say with a smirk before turning around. “Vikna, what kind of bone hardening augments do you guys have available?”

“What?” She asks, confused. “Uh, we have boron carbide ceramic ossification augments, but those are military grade. They also don't feel too good going in. However, they make your bones-”

“Virtually unbreakable.” You interupt with a smile. “Fluff, you absolute mad man.”

“How do you know all of this? It's highly classified!” She yells. “Only people related with the SS program and anyone of sufficient rank know anything about it!”

“We have a fictional version of your super soldier program called the Orion project, also known as Spartan Is. The next and most famous iteration are the Spartan IIs and IIIs. All of them are from a video game and I assume I need stronger bones to use the armor.” You tell her.

“Armor? What's inside of that thing?” She asks.

“A pocket dimension. I assume this is standard issue for you all?” You ask in return.

“No, that's science fiction!” She replies. “Nobody has been able to cross dimensions, let alone create one!”

You look to the pod and back to her, astonished that even they haven't been able to crack pocket dimensions. When you look back, you open up the armor and take a look at the file. As you suspected, you needed bone augmentation and neural upgrades to effectively use the armor. Strength augments were not required, but recommended. It would help in case the armor was damaged so you could man handle it back to safety. After thinking about the intricacies of the whole thing, you realize something.

“Do your SS troopers use some form of exoskeleton?” You ask.

“No, they're strong enough on their own to not need it. Why?” She asks.

“This suit, it stays between you and I. Understand?” You ask in return. “Not even Fluff is to know about this. I'm going to see if there's anything inside this capsule to trade for the augmentations.”

“But you said you were done fighting!” She yells.

“This is nothing more than a contingency.” You tell her. “I almost died yesterday. A little more to the left and a bullet would've missed my plate, penetrating the Kevlar and killing me. I won't let it happen again.”

“B-but-”

“No buts. I promise I won't go out on any unnecessary missions. I won't enroll in the SS program and have my humanity stripped away. I'll still be the same old Jack you know and love, just a bit better is all. I'll be like a private super soldier.” You say. “If you want, I will get the ones I can get removed taken out when this is over. For now though, I'm doing this for your safety.”

She's about to protest, but she relents, looking around at all the junk and not junk.

“Promise me you won't enroll in the program.” She says.

“I won't.” You say, comforting her. “I won't let them take me.”

2 days later

Jack is sitting on the operating table, anesthetics having been administered as he lays unconscious on the bed. You were curious how bone ossification worked, so you were allowed to watch the proceedings. Arms come down as a doctor in a full sterile suit makes her way over to a control panel, moving scalpels down his arms and legs as they begin to bleed. Then, they begin cutting into his chest, head, feet, and neck before some sort of massive syringe comes down from the ceiling. It's followed by 10 more syringes, all holding a black compound inside as clamps are applied to his wrists, head, legs, and waist. Why do they need the clamps? He's anesthetized. Maybe it's to keep him in place during the procedure?

You get your answer as soon as the syringe impacts his femur, making a sickening crack before the compound is injected into his bones. He begins squirming in the bed, struggling against the bonds before all the other syringes stab into his bones. He lets out an ear piercing shriek, struggling violently against the bonds as he feels pain you couldn't even begin to imagine. For him to be screaming like this after only grunting a bit when he was shot was something that made you feel sick inside. He continues to scream in agony as the syringes are pulled back out, tendrils making their way from the ceiling and inserting themselves into the wounds. This seems to compound his screams, the doctor inside covering her ears as the machine worked. He's thrashing against the bonds that held him in place, screaming in agony as you can hear the tendrils scraping against his bones. You want to look away, but you can't, the sight seeming to lock your eyes upon it.

Black fibers are brought down from the ceiling, turning red as muscles before the tendrils begin grabbing them as well. They then start shoving the muscles inside his flesh, making him scream ever louder as the pain seems to compound. The woman standing at the contols runs over to him with a syringe, stabbing it into his jugular before injecting the entire thing into him. His screams begin to die down until they settle on significantly quieter cries as the muscles are stuffed into a skin suit that is too tight for them. You can hear loud sizzling as what you assumed was either smoke or steam poured from all of the wounds, more fibers being stuffed inside him and attached before the tendrils remove themselves. Manipulators close off his wounds, sewing them shut before releasing the clamps around his limbs. He's then held suspended in the air, going limp as whatever was in him finally takes effect. The doctor gets back behind the controls, pressing a few buttons as he's laid back down on his stomach, the restraints coming back on.

The doctor's ears fold back as she looks away, pressing a button on the console as scalpels lower from the ceiling, making a few incisions in his back and legs. The syringes come back down and are stabbed all along his spinal column, causing him to start crying in pain. You wanted to hug him and comfort him badly, but you weren't allowed in the operating room for the duration of the procedure. The syringes continue stabbing into his spinal column before finally making it to his hips, where 3 syringes are pressed down in a triangle before the tendrils come back down. The make their way into the wounds, scraping away as Jack lets out another cry before a very large needle is brought down. This one stabs into his spinal cord, making him scream in agony as he seems to have a seizure. His heart rate sky rockets from 120 BPM to 220 BPM in the blink of an eye. He goes limp in the restraints, his heart rate going to zero as the tendrils work much faster than they have the entire operation. Before you can cry out in despair, his heart restarts, going to a steady 90 BPM. The needle is removed from his spine and set off to the side, being nearly a foot long and coated in yellow fluid.

Once the tendrils are done squirming about inside the cuts, Jack is stitched back up before a very large arm comes down from the ceiling, placing itself on the back of his neck. The doctor moves a controller around a bit, moving the arm slightly as he sobs gently into the operating table. The doctor looks at a diagram of the human body with a small square on the neck before moving the arm a bit down. When it presses up against the back of his neck, a loud bang comes from it, causing Jack to cry out in pain as the arm is removed from the back of his neck. When you look, there's a small piece of metal sitting on his neck, which you assumed was some kind of neural interface. The restraints unlock after he's sewn up completely, flipping right side up as he's levitated to a more comfortable looking hospital bed. The wounds are run over by a hospital grade healing tool, turning his stitches to nothing and his cuts to scars. What puzzles you most is the fact that he's not moving at all, despite how much noise he was making earlier. The doctor exits the room and you run up to her, grabbing her wrist tight before turning her around.

“What the fuck did you do to him?” You ask, your voice wavering on the edge of screaming. “Why wasn't he sedated?”

“He was definitely sedated Kavkor.” The doctor replies. “The operation is so painful that the pain overcomes the sedation. There's no natural way for anyone to feel that much pain outside of this procedure.”

“Is it going to be like this for the next week?” You ask.

“No, the most painful procedures are out of the way now.” She replies. “The acceptance of the new augmentations was remarkably high. If his body had rejected the augmentations, he would've perished on the operating table today.”

“Is he going to be okay?” You ask, letting go of her as you calm yourself down.

“He'll be fine as long as nothing goes awry during the optical implanting and neural interface growth period.” She tells you.

“Is any of what you just did reversible?” You ask.

“None of the augments we do are reversible I'm afraid. It was a smart decision going for only fifty percent augmentations, since he'll only look even hotter now that he gained all those muscles.” She tells you. “Don't worry, we've cut out about thirty pounds of fat, so he'll only weigh about 297 pounds when he finishes augmentation. Your boyfriend is very strong, Kavkor. I'm sure he'll make it.”

You nod and walk back to the seat you were sitting at, looking into the operating room at your admittedly hotter looking

1 week later

Vikna

You're watching as Jack still recovers from his violent bone ossification procedure. There were some strings you had to pull for everyone to turn a blind eye, but your rank in combination with the gold Jack had traded for the procedure was enough to make them look the other way. Not even the Intelligence Aeronauta would know. Since gold was a very rare material that's used in the making of super conductors, 40 pounds will go a long way. He said there was even more inside the capsule, which made you shudder at what he could possibly have inside there. Who could've known Jack would be here, and why would they send him a capsule with a powered assault suit?

You look at Jack and see his scars running down the forearms, legs, and chest. His entire skeleton was given bone grafts, which his body accepted without any trouble. However, the screams he made during the operation will haunt your dreams for months. They sounded like the screeches of those terrible monsters on the road he took you down to see his father. He also had his muscles augmented and gained fifty percent more mass from the procedure, as well as having his nerves modified with super conducting materials, on top of many procedures used by SS troops. You just hope that he will survive the recovery period, which is when most of the SS die.

3 weeks later

Jack

You wake up, your entire body aching and feeling like it got hacked apart. Well, it technically did. When you get out of bed, you feel something slide off of you, which you instantly catch. It was your ear piece. You put it back in your ear and look out the window, seeing Vikna asleep on a bench. How long have you been out? This thought prompts you to open up your ear piece and see you've been out almost a whole month. She must be worried sick.

When you exit the bed, you walk over to the door. You try to open it, but it's locked by an override. Guess it's time to test these augments. When you use the emergency door separator, the door flies open and hits the door stops with a loud thud. This wakes Vikna up and she looks like she's seen a ghost. You walk towards her and can see tears building up in her eyes.

“Th-they said you died...” She says, terrified. “They said you'd have brain damage. Please tell me you're still you.”

“I am a cybernetic organism. Living tissue over a metal endoskeleton.” You tell her, keeping a straight face. “My mission is to protect you.”

“Oh god, what have they done?!” She asks, pulling you into a hug.

“I'm just fucking with you.” You tell her. “I'm fine. I think.”

“You asshole!” She yells, pushing you away. “You had me going there!”

“Well, now that I'm awake, let's go see what this new body can do.” You tell her. “Unless, you want to do something first.”

You hear foot steps coming down the hall and turn around, putting yourself between Vikna and the frantic footfalls. Ayn comes barreling around the corner, seeing you before seeming confused.

“Wait, you're dead.” She tells you.

“Negative. Kaltag model 101. I am a cybernetic organism-”

You feel a slap on the back of your head as Vikna grunts with irritation.

“Sorry, I already did that gag with her.” You tell Ayn. “She didn't take it as well as I thought she would.”

“I'd kick you in the balls if I knew they didn't already hurt.” Vikna says.

Now that she mentions it, your balls do hurt, along with everything else.

“Well, I think it's time to go couple my body with the suit.” You tell her. “You can tag along if you want Ayn. I trust you enough with my secret.”

“Suit?” She asks. “You mean an exoskeleton?”

“Something like that.” You reply. “Let's go. We're burning day light.”

1 hour later

You make it to the Earth artifacts room, walking over to the pod in question before it scans you. It blinks green again and the selection screen turns on, showing right where you left off. The THOR armor system. You press the button to take the suit out of storage and it projects a massive box where you stood, flashing red as you, Ayn, and Vikna stood inside.

“Back away from the unloading zone.” It says.

You do so and in the blink of an eye, a massive stand with not-Mjolnir armor sitting in a retaining rack, ready for its wearer to enter.

“Please stand in the marked foot pads to be scanned for the proper augments needed to operate THOR armor.” The rack/disassembly tool says.

You do as it says, standing on the marked lines as the scanner runs across your body. When it finishes, a light flashes green and a body suit pops out of the ground.

“Undress and step inside the under suit. The machine will do the rest for the body suit.” The system says, prompting you to put on the very first layer of your armor.

10 minutes later

It managed to fit you inside of the body suit without any difficulty, both on your end and its end. Ayn is watching on in amazement, the armor from your dream having come to life.

“Please-”

“Yeah, I know what to do.” You tell the thing, cutting it off.

You step inside the boots of the armor, the machine attaching the pieces of the armor to you as it lifts you off the ground. The armor felt heavy on your body until the back plate was put on, which immediately lightened the armor up. When it finished putting on your arm pieces and leg pieces, your helmet was placed in front of you with instructions for releasing it. The device released you and you moved your arms around carefully, having seen animations of what this armor can do to a man who isn't ready for it. When you move it around a bit, the armor seems to respond as if it was a second skin, almost as if it was made for you.

Ayn and Vikna look on in astonishment, your olive green colored armor making you smile like a kid on Christmas. You take the helmet, putting it on top of your head and hearing it make a positive pressure seal. The HUD comes online and begins a diagnostic, which was identical to the scene in game. When the armor is finished booting up, it charges your shields and you look over to Vikna and Ayn.

“I need a weapon.” You say in a significantly underwhelming voice.

“You look like a walking tank.” Vikna says. “What's that even made of anyway?”

“Well, it's made of some kind of Titanium composite that I'm not even sure I have permission to talk about.” You reply.

As soon as you reply, ARA walks in and smiles at her friends. Then, she sees you and she cocks her head.

“Unidentified exoskeleton, please state your name and model number.” She says.

“ARA, it's me, Jack.” You say.

“Negative, unable to confirm.” She says. “Vocal pattern differs from normal vocalizations of mister Haigs.”

You take off your helmet and she raises her eyebrows.

“Ah, I see. Does the exoskeleton have some sort of EM shielding?” She asks. “I wasn't able to scan your neural interface.”

“I guess it does.” You reply, walking over to her with heavy foot steps. “This is classified Top Secret. You need a level 30 clearance to talk about this suit to anyone outside of the group you see here. This includes pictures, video, and sound too. Any information pertaining to this suit is locked behind that clearance.”

“Understood mister Jackson.” She says. “I will pass on the clearance requirement to my sisters. Warning can be a bit of a loud mouth.”

You nod and put the helmet back on, walking back to the pod.

“I hope you understand that this can't reach the emperor or god forbid the terrorists.” You say, scrolling through the list of items. “I don't want to see an army of super soldiers wielding these exoskeletons. They'd be a powerful tool of terror for both sides.”

“I completely understand mister Jackson. However, I have also come to relay a message from mister Rei. He tells me that miss Zofie and Nytro are onboard a hijacked star liner. They came to see you after miss Vikna told them you died.” She says.

“Why does everyone keep saying I died?” You ask.

“Your heart rate flat lined for about 10 minutes. Your heart was kept going artificially for almost 3 days before it barely managed to recover. They did the best they could, but said you'd have permanent brain damage if you woke up.” Vikna says. “But you don't! At least, I don't think you do.”

You nod before realizing exactly what ARA just said.

“Wait, a hijacked star liner?!” You ask full of surprise.

“Affirmative. The star liner was hijacked by Separationists. There are approximately 200 aboard, having concealed wooden weapons inside bags to get on board. They will be landing at the space port you rescued a while back.” She says.

“200 souls or 200 terrorists?” You ask.

“200 terrorists. There are 2000 souls aboard.” She replies.

“Is anyone else able to take care of the mess?” You ask.

“Yes, but if they can't...” She says trailing off. “The passengers will likely perish, including Zofie and Nytro.”

You look over at Vikna and Ayn, the former looking surprised and the latter guilt stricken.

“If the hostage rescue team can't save them, you can go and do your thing.” Vikna says, crossing her arms. “Not a moment sooner.”

“I should've gotten on the transfer flight.” Ayn says, looking at the ground. “I would've been with them...”

“There's no way you could've known.” You tell her. “Don't make this your fault.”

She looks up at you and sighs.

“Are your sure that suit works?” She asks. “What does it even do?”

“Well, if I remember correctly, it amplifies the users strength by 4 times and increases their reaction time to be almost instantaneous. If I tell the suit to move, it will move before my muscles can. The suit moves me as much as I move it.” You explain. “Combined with the muscular and bone augments I received, I don't think even an SS soldier could stop me. I intend to keep it that way.”

“Do you intend on taking over?” Ayn asks.

“I intend to keep you safe. I'm not going to run for office or attempt to overthrow the emperor, but he can't be trusted with technology like this.” You reply.

“I see. Well, my lips are sealed.” She says. “Let's go see what's going on.”

“I'll listen from inside here.” You tell her. “Don't want people seeing this and asking questions until absolutely necessary.”

She nods and begins walking out.

“Let me know when you're going. We can take them down together.” She says.

“Only if you take heavy combat armor.” You reply. “I won't let you die.”

She nods and leaves the room, ARA and Vikna being the only ones left. You begin moving around in the suit, feeling it jump around a bit before you get used to moving inside it. Rather, you get used to it moving you around before you have a chance to move yourself. After practicing movement for a bit, you walk over to the capsule to see what else is on the content list. There were a couple of weapons inside that you recognized and a couple you didn't. There was, of course, a rebranded magnum. A couple of Armalite rifles of various types and a rebranded combat shotgun. You grab the shotgun and pistol from the pod and they both pop in front of you, your reflexes allowing you to at least catch the shotgun before it fell. The magnum falls to the ground and you pick it up, putting it near your hip as you feel it magnetize. You put the shotgun over your back and smile, walking back to Vikna and ARA. When you make it, a message pops up in the middle of your HUD.

///AI CONTAINMENT DEVICE EMPTY, READY TO PAIR\\\\\

You reach around the back of your helmet and search for a while before finding what you were looking for. An AI chip. This was just a rip off of Mjolnir, it's not even funny at this point.

“I know you said this information was classified, but I am highly curious as to what makes up this suit. It seems to be EM resistant to such a degree that scanners can not scan past it. I also don't see any obvious actuators either.” She tells you.

“Are you able to move yourself onto something like this?” You ask, putting the data chip up to eye level.

“What is it?” She asks.

“It's some kind of AI containment device, which I'm guessing is to hold an AI inside it. I know from the, uh, instructions, that this suit can have an AI interface with it through the helmet.” You reply. “Are you able to hook into something like this?”

“Well, I'd like to think so.” She says, bringing her tail up. “Security protocols will not allow me to transfer myself into a device without proper clearance, but you and miss Vikna both have said clearance.”

“I guess I'll clear you.” You say, handing the chip to her. “Do whatever you need to do to transfer.”

She nods and takes off the tail cap, sticking the chip inside a port that seems to expand on her tail.

“Transferring.” She says as she lays on the ground. “I am laying down so I do not damage the synth flesh when I am fully transferred. You will need to pull the chip out of my tail, so I ask you reinsert the tail cap. I feel very exposed without something connecting to my adapter.”

You nod and grab the tail cap from her, seeing the body go limp. Her eyes close and a couple of affirmative beeps sound. You pull the chip out and see ARA pop out in hologram form.

“It feels just like old times.” She says. “Back when I was a construct and not a full on anthroid. Now, may we begin insertion procedures?”

You nod and attempt to insert the chip into the back of your head, failing.

“You are inserting it backwards mister Jackson.” ARA reminds you.

You flip the chip around and insert it, feeling a chill go down your spine as ARA begins interfacing with the suit.

“This is...different.” She says. “Your suit is just like my body, but a bit more sophisticated. The efficiency of the liquid crystal computational matrix is astonishingly advanced compared to what I have previously encountered in your world.”

“Thanks, don't go taking over the suit, alright?” You ask.

“I will do no such thing.” She replies.

“ARA, are you alright?” Vikna asks.

“I am fine miss Vikna. This technology is far more advanced than any of our exoskeleton designs.” She replies using the suits speaker. “I'm surprised humans were able to produce something so advanced.”

“Are you able to find a date code or anything on the suits design?” You ask.

“Absolutely. I see how this suit is so advanced. However, it's still astonishing that you were able to develop something so advanced in only 500 years, especially without considerable development the entire time.” She says.

“This suit was developed in 500 years without constant development? That's almost as much time as it took ARA to be developed!” Vikna yells.

“I am now shutting down audible transmission for security purposes. Sorry miss Vikna.” ARA says, shutting off the suits speaker. “To be specific, the breakthroughs that allowed its construction were made in about 30 years. It's astonishing how much ingenuity you humans display.”

“Thanks, but I'm not one of those ingenious people.” You tell her. “Well, do you want to stay or would you like to return to your body? I could sure use the help with relaying combat data inside the suit.”

“I'm afraid you must ask mister Rei first.” She replies. “I feel much safer here than I do in my body, considering you are protected by 2 inches of titanium composite, an under suit made of the same material, and a...wait, is this an energy shield that can deflect projectiles?”

“Yes, it is.” You reply. “It can stand up to at least 15 mega joules and still hold up.”

“I am calculating it can stay coherent up to about 22 mega joules. You could take a rail gun to the chest and survive!” She says in astonishment. “I believe being paired with you in combat would be safer than walking around inside The Tower. Also, it's spelled with a lower case T. it's not capital T The, it's lower case t the.”

“You can see into my mind?” You ask.

“It is extremely limited, as I'm only able to access your short term memory.” She replies. “Organic storage is actually very highly efficient. I'm surprised to say the least.”

“Huh, thanks for the compliment I guess.” You reply. “So you won't freeze up and get frightened?”

“No, I feel very safe inside this armor.” She replies. “The only thing preventing me from going with you is my protocol to stay inside the tower, though I doubt I could do much to stop you if we were to exit the Tower. However, I trust you won't do that.”

“I won't.” You reply, getting on your com link.

It rings and Fluff picks up.

“What's up?” He asks.

“I'm asking if I can take ARA with me if I'm pulled into the hostage rescue. She's in an AI chip right now and would be a great asset transferring elements of combat data to my HUD.” You tell him.

“HUD? What are you using right now?” He asks.

“It's nothing.” You tell him. “Just a helmet.”

“Well, I'm coming down to see exactly what kind of helmet you're using, as most of the ones available to you do not include one. It's a terrible idea to tactically acquire high tech equipment like that without authorization, even if you're you.” He says. “Stay right there.”

“Uh, sure.” You tell him, cringing. “I'll see you when I see you.”

He hangs up and you grip your fists.

“Fuck!” You yell. “Now he's gonna know!”

“Know what? Who were you talking to?” Vikna asks.

“Fluff is coming.” You tell her. “He's gonna see the suit.”

“We can hide it!” She says. “He doesn't need to know!”

“No, it's too late. Guess that whole thing about not telling Fluff is a lost cause.” You say, looking down at the floor. “You want back in your body ARA?”

“I'll return for now.” She says. “I think mister Rei will be understanding. He usually is, even when it comes to me.”

You nod and take out the AI chip, putting it inside her tail connector. ARA lights up again, looking around at her body with mild disappointment. She puts her tail cap on after returning the AI chip to you just in time for Fluff to enter the room.

He looks at you with mild confusion before walking forward.

“What the hell is a Spartan doing here?” He asks. “What's your name Spartan?”

“It's Jack.” You tell him, removing the helmet.

“What the hell?! Where did you find that?” He asks. “How did that even get here?”

“Someone named Jake sent it to me.” You reply. “Had to get my bones reinforced and everything.”

“How many more do you have?” He asks.

“None. Fluff, I'm not going to give this to you or give you the blueprints either.” You tell him. “It poses too much of a risk.”

“How so?” He asks.

“Radoslav could use it as a weapon of terror. Nobody would stand in the way of an SS trooper. If they decided Vikna, ARA, Ayn, Zofie, or Nytro needed to die, they would die. Only Ayn would stand even a slight chance against this.” You tell him. “This suit existing threatens freedom itself. Hence why I am the only one who will wear it.”

“I guess.” He says. “Well, you don't need to worry about anything. The hostage rescue team-”

He stops, putting his feathered hands on his earpiece before his wings flutter a bit. He then looks at you and over to the side, worried.

“They have what?!” He asks. “Yes, I know the situation is devolving, but I'm dealing with something right now!”

“What's devolving?” You ask, putting the helmet back on.

He continues listening before looking up at you with pleading eyes.

“They have assault exos and nothing we have can take them out.” He says. “I know you don't want to fight any more, but it's just this one last time.”

You look back at Vikna and she nods, crossing her arms.

“You come back safe, you hear me?” She asks.

“Can I take ARA? She says she feels safer in my suit than she does in her own body.” You tell him. “I'll take good care of her and she would be a big help managing the new suit.”

He sighs and nods.

“Sure, just take something big and hurry!” He says. “I don't want Zofie or Nytro dying.”

“Neither do I.” You reply, handing ARA the chip. “Sorry about the inconvenience ARA. I'll go get some more shotgun shells and a large caliber rifle while you transfer.”

She nods and you make your way to the pod, finding the rifle you want and printing it. A 20mm anti material rifle. You load the rifle with a magazine, storing the rest inside the suits various hard points for ammo. After that, you store shells inside the main ammunition compartment, loading the shotgun up before taking a few magazines for the magnum ripoff. You rack the shotgun and a loud CLICK CLACK echoes throughout the room as you make your way back to the ARAs limp form. You take the chip out of her tail, replacing the tail cap and slipping the chip into the back of your helmet.

“I am interfaced. Routing military coms to your suit now.” She says, an oscilloscope like box being projected for the voices. “I also found something you might like.”

///RE ENTRY PACK ONLINE. ENERGY WINGS ENABLED.\\\\\

You look over your shoulders and sure enough, there's a couple of energy wings behind you.

“How do you feel?” Fluff asks. “Not every day you get to meet a Spartan.”

“I feel taller.” You reply. “Let's go on EVA, I'll drop from orbit onto the air port. It's faster than driving.”

“What?!” ARA asks. “That is an incredibly unnecessary risk!”

“We don't have time for a 3 hour drive.” You tell her. “I can make it to the airport in under an hour if we drop from here. Besides, you're the one who pointed out the reentry pack.”

“I guess I did. Well, there is an emergency air lock down the hall from here, if we hurry, we might be able to make it there in only an hour.” ARA says. “Possibly less.”

You nod, already running toward the door. Vikna and Fluff get out of your way as the doors open, people seeing a man in a massive green suit of armor run out of the artifacts room. A door is highlighted at the end of the hallway and you make your way towards it, people getting out of your way as your boot falls sound like thundering drums. You reach the door and open it, alarms going off as you step inside. The airlock begins depressurizing and you feel the suit tighten a bit, all vents closing off and a fan spooling up.

“Oxygen system online.” ARA says. “Opening emergency airlock hatch now.”

The hatch opens and you put the shotgun to your back, stepping out of the airlock.

“Orienting for deorbit burn, calculating trajectory, done! Burning now!” She says.

You feel yourself being pushed at incredibly high speed. As soon as the push started, it stopped and you orient yourself to look back at the Tower. It was receding from you. Everything except for the fan was dead silent, making you feel uneasy to say the least. Even in a suit as powerful as this.

“I've got something on the, uh, motion scanner?” She asks, confused. “It's weak, but you can see it if you turn around.”

You look back and see 5 pods ahead of you, too small to be life pods and too large to be beacons.

“What are those?” You ask.

“Attempting to hail.” She replies, the transmitter acquiring their frequency. “Handshake complete, you are talking to the pods.”

“Unidentified vessels, please state your name and purpose on a suborbital trajectory.” You tell them.

“Orbital pacification squad. Who am I speaking to?” One asks.

“This is Sierra 722, you both heading for the star liner too?” You ask.

“Sierra? That designation doesn't match anything in our database either. What the hell are you doing out here?!” They ask, getting aggravated. “Who are you anyway?!”

“A friend.” You reply. “ARA, what's our time to entry?”

“15 minutes. Shields are set to reentry preset. You're ready for atmospheric insertion.” She tells you. “Stay vertical, do not attempt to slow down or you will fall behind the orbital squad.”

“You got it.” You reply, getting into what you can only call a torpedo stance.

When you look off to your side, you see an alligator look at you curiously before you give him a thumbs up.

“Where were you guys a few months ago? They could've used you on the ground.” You say, wanting to know where these men were.

“Being trained. Where were you?” They ask in return. “We could've used you as well.”

“I've been here since the very start.” You reply. “Been on just about every mission you can imagine.”

“No way...there's only a few people we know who've been on that many missions, and the humans don't have the tech to be dropping from orbit like this. Are you...SS?” They ask.

“I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.” You reply, grabbing the shotgun off your back.

“Atmospheric entry in 1 minute, put that weapon away mister Jackson!” ARA says.

You put the weapon back and face forward, seeing the ground has come up rather fast.

“Atmosphere has been entered, shields holding strong.” ARA says. “Sound dampeners online. It's going to get loud.”

You begin seeing a massive plasma charge building in front of you as you close toward the spaceport, looking off to the sides as the drop pods appear to be on fire.

“Sierra 722 to drop pods, how you looking?” You ask, not expecting a response.

“Looking green. Laser transmitters are working fine.” He says. “How you holding up in that suit?”

ARA displays the relevant stats and you smile.

“Doing just fine. A little toasty, that's all.” You reply.

“4 minutes to impact.” ARA says. “We're still going very fast! I don't think this orbital insertion was a good idea!”

“We'll be fine ARA.” You tell her. “Widen the shields if we're going in too fast to land safely. We have thrusters too, so make use of them.”

“Right! My landing calculations are a little rusty and all over the place, but I think I have a pretty good idea what to do.” She says. “2 minutes to impact.”

You wait, looking off to the side and seeing the pods are way behind you, having popped drogue chutes.

“30 seconds to impact!” She yells. “My calculations were completely wrong!”

“WIDEN THE SHIELDS!” You yell. “MAKE AN AIRFOIL!”

You feel yourself being pulled up, but it won't be enough. You take full control, engaging retro jets as you fall feet first towards the space port. The ground finally makes its way to you, the pavement cracking as you take a knee from the fall. Your bones hurt and everything else does too, but you're alive. When you get up, you feel the ground rumble behind you, the orbital troopers having landed. The hatches explode off and you take the shotgun off your back, running toward what you assume is the hijacked starliner.

When you look up the stairway, you see a wolf holding a woman hostage, pointing a pistol at her head. You take out your pistol and squint, the smart scope engaging as you line the reticle up with his head. After you steady your aim, you fire, a round exploding out of the barrel and dropping the man before he can pull the trigger.

“Squad, on me.” You tell them, taking point to the space craft.

Vikna

You watch Jack twitch behind the glass of the operating room, having been talking to himself as the doctors consoled you.

“He's going through the final phase of augmentation. This last phase will determine whether his mind will accept the augments or not.” The doctor says, placing her hand on your shoulder. “He will feel unstoppable in his dream until he reaches a seemingly immovable object. If this object kills him in the dream, his mind will become blank and irreparable.”

“Oh my god...” You say to yourself. “How long does this usually take?”

“Well, he's been dreaming for almost an hour, so I'd say any minute now.” She replies. “The object in question is almost never able to be beaten by brute force, so he will have to think about what to do.”

She brings up a tablet and opens up a program, which displays what Jack is seeing. You look just in time to see a bear in a mechanical loading suit, holding a chain gun in his hands.

“Oh shit!” He yells, ducking back behind cover and producing a rather large rifle from his back.

He pulls the long bolt back and lets it ride forward, waiting for the bear to stop firing.

“ARA, give me full forward shields!” He yells.

You watch at the top as a green bar pops up where a blue one used to be, along with an arrow indicating the direction of the shields.

“Full forward shields are operational!” ARA says in a cheerful voice. “This is really exciting!”

“Well, at least one of us is happy about this.” He says.

“Is that the immovable object?” You ask.

“I'm guessing so, though I think he has adequate ordinance to deal with it, don't you think?” The doctor asks in return.

Jack turns the corner and the bear fires the chain gun, all hitting his shields. He takes aim with the rifle and fires at the chest, staggering the beast. He continues to fire until it falls to the ground, where he takes out his pistol. The beast then gets back up, roaring in defiance as it picks the steaming hot projectiles out of its armor.

“Oh shit...” Jack says, fear in his voice.

He looks behind the bear and you see Nytro fighting off multiple attackers as Zofie sits on the floor, unsure of what to do.

“Loud speaker, now!” Jack yells, the fear now replaced determination. “NYTRO! GET ZOFIE THE HELL OUT OF HERE! I'LL HOLD THEM OFF!”

He gets out a very large shotgun and flicks the safety off while pulling the trigger, the blast knocking the bear back before it can retrieve its chain gun. Jack rushes forward at break neck speed, sliding under the grasp of the bear as he retrieves the chain gun. The bear swears in a foreign language you assumed was what he interpreted Katrician to be before he raises the gun, firing into the bears back. The shots go through and blood splatters on the floor, Jack screaming in anger as he ventilates the bear in the loader suit. When he looks back, Nytro is looking at him curiously while Zofie stares in awe.

“I SAID GO!” He screams, racking the shotgun.

Another blast echoes out as he fires to the rear, killing a man who was trying to get a bead on him.

“His imagination is very creative.” The doctor says. “I wonder if he ever thought about writing books.”

You shudder at that and look back at the screen, seeing him struggling to get Nytro and Zofie out while holding off all the enemy waves. He makes it around a corner with both of them in toe, but sees 2 of the loader powered bears this time. One has a rifle that looks more at home on a mount than on a shoulder, while the other has another chain gun. He pushes the others back around the corner and takes a shot that drops his shields immediately.

“Your armor has saved you mister Jackson! I suggest not pulling a stunt like that again!” ARA announces. “I am beginning to rethink my previous assessment.”

“We're not done yet.” He says, looking at Nytro. “You and I are going to distract while Zofie places one of these between them.”

He holds out what looks like an EMP charge from the armory, pointing to the activation button.

“You use this to activate it and you RUN!” He tells her. “When both of them are down, you and Nytro move to the door and get out. Understand?”

She nods and he gives her the device, prompting Jack and Nytro to rush around the corner. The one with the rifle targets Jack, but ARA has already put maximum forward shields on, meaning the shields take the hit without failing. Nytro is running circles around the one with the chain gun, slashing at hydraulic lines as it tries to keep up. Zofie plants the device and begins running back, having pressed the button to activate the bomb.

“RUN!” She screams, prompting Nytro and Jack to run.

When they get back behind the corner, the screams of the bears are heard throughout the halls before Jack rounds the corner, seeing both of them were crushed by the suits. He hides Zofie from this fact, keeping her eyes away from them as he escorts them to the door. When they reach the door, his brain waves spike and the memory screen goes blank. There's a gasp in front of you and you look up, seeing Jack sitting up in bed before beginning to disconnect leads. It all happened so fast that you can't believe Jack is actually awake.

He continues disconnecting leads and pulls out a long tube from his crotch, which you assume was a catheter. He gets himself out of bed, grunting loudly as he kneels on the floor. He looks back up at you and gets up, walking to the door of the operation room. He opens the door with great amounts of force, not waiting for it to open automatically.

“H-hey! You need to lay down. We still have tests to run!” The doctor yells.

He ignores her and walks unsteadily in your direction, obviously in a lot of pain. When he reaches you, he crouches down to eye level with you prompting you to put the tablet down. He pulls you into a hug, rubbing his cheek against yours.

“I'm not dead.” He tells you. “I'm not dead...”

“I had faith in you.” You tell him.

“I need some ibuprofen please.” He says, getting off the floor. “My entire body hurts.”

3 hours later

Jack

You're given your last injection, holding Viknas hand with a smile on your face.

“So that was all a test?” You ask.

“Yes.” She says, smiling back at you. “You did really well too.”

“How long will it be until I can walk again?” You ask.

“Just a few more minutes.” The bison nurse tells you. “I'm surprised you could walk at all with all the pain you were in.”

You nod and put a hand to Viknas face, rubbing her cheek with your hand. She looks over at the nurse before sighing, pushing against your hand with a smile.

“I will leave you two alone. Just, uh, don't do it on the hospital bed. You're not bed ridden any more.” She says, leaving the room.

When she leaves, you throw your legs off the bed, seeing you're about to hit Vikna. You quickly stop yourself, Vikna looking down at your sudden movement.

“Almost hit you with my legs.” You tell her. “Good thing I got that nervous system augment.”

She chuckles and you get up off the bed, taking your hand away from her face. When you look at your arms, you see all the scars from the procedure. Hopefully they will heal.

“You know, SS soldiers usually get an implant that suppresses their emotional freedom.” She says, looking down at the floor. “It makes them much more combat effective, clearing them of any errors in judgment caused by extreme emotion such as hate. It also fixes most, if not all mental illnesses, which is the secondary purpose of its installation. Why didn't you take it?”

“I don't hate being imperfect more than I love you.” You reply. “I'd give up everything if it meant I could be with you forever.”

She pulls you into a hug, which you return as gently as possible. You're not sure how strong your new body is and the absolute last thing you want to do is harm her in any way.

“When did you become such a smooth talker?” She asks, chuckling.

“I think Nytro is rubbing off on me.” You reply before feeling a sense of dread approaching. “Someone is coming.”

When you look up, you see a hulking mass of muscle and armor, a Husky with blue eyes staring at you with indifference.

“I thought I felt something new.” He says, cold and unfeeling. “What's your designation?”

“Designation?” You ask. “Who are you?”

“Delta Sierra 2592-M.” He says. “SS trooper from third battalion.”

“You think I'm an SS trooper?” You ask. “I'm honored, really, but I'm no SS trooper.”

“Sure you are. I could feel your neural link when you woke up.” He says, pointing to your head. “Your thoughts are...strange. Were you conscripted or volunteered?”

“I don't even have all the augments an SS trooper uses. Am I going to be hazed?” You ask in return.

“If you're not an SS, then how did you know what kind of augments we use?” He asks, looking down at you with suspicion. “2592-M sending traffic.”

“Because they happen to line up with what I need to become more effective on the battlefield.” You reply, not mentioning the armor. “So is this something that allows you to read minds?”

“Copy, no new registrations today.” He says before responding. “I see. Well, no, they don't allow us to read your mind, but we can sense your emotions. Right now you're very stressed and worried. What are you worried about?”

You glance back at Vikna, having not noticed you putting yourself in front of her. When you look back, you see him nod in understanding.

“So you don't have the emotional inhibitor installed. I guess you aren't an official SS.” He says. “Then I'm wasting my time, goodbye.”

You wave him off and feel the ground vibrate as he walks away, the armor much thicker than anything you've ever seen on a man. When he leaves the room, you look back at Vikna, who's petrified behind you.

“We're lucky he didn't want to kill us.” She says, terror still present even after she left. “I don't even think you could've stopped him.”

You look back at her and smile, calm now that the threat has been removed. However, you weren't finished yet. You still had one more hurdle to cross before you could complete this transformation.

7 days later

You finally slip into the body suit of the armor, having been training with your new body for this moment. When you step inside the boots, Vikna and ARA watch closely as Fluff does the same. The boots close on your feet and the machine grabs your arms, beginning to attach the various pieces of armor to your arms, legs, chest, and torso. The tamper proof bolts are screwed in place by machines, closing the armor pieces up and conforming to your arms and legs.

The machine lets you go while the neural interface links you to the armor like it was a second skin. In fact, it felt more like it was moving you than you were moving it. This was expected of the THOR armor, since it was more than likely just a knockoff Mjolnir. The helmet is presented to you and you take it, putting the armored helmet on top of your head. It locks in place and a HUD boots up, showing a shield bar at the top of the visor while a radar or motion tracker was on the bottom left. When you reach behind your head, you pull out an AI chip that was completely blank before looking at ARA.

“You able to interface with this?” You ask, tossing her the chip.

She fumbles with it before managing to catch it, smiling sheepishly once she does.

“I think I may be able to interface with it. Let me check my connectors real quick.” She says, plugging it into any port she has available. “I see, it's an AI chip. This looks to be on par with, if not more advanced than the AI containment chips we've used in the past. Where did you find any of this anyways?”

“That's classified.” You tell her. “However, if you want to know more about the suit, nothing is stopping you from interfacing with the chip and me forgetting you're in there while I put it back where it belongs.”

She nods, sticking the chip in her tail connector before going limp. When you pull the connector out, you insert it into the back of the helmet and you hear a gasp come from the speaker system.

“This is way more advanced than any of the armored exoskeletons we have available. This must amplify the users strength by at least 10 times. You could easily square off against an SS and win with strength alone.” She says. “Not to mention just how much freedom and space for data storage there is!”

“You like it?” You ask.

“I'm cataloging all that I can. This suit will make for a great piece of entertainment when I'm bored. It will be fun to speculate on how it works and how humans could've made something so amazingly high tech.” She says.

“Good, just so that you know, it's all classified. Not even your emperor has the clearance to know about this.” You lie. “Do not tell him about this in your next report, even if he asks.”

“Even though I sense you are lying, I will not tell him anyway.” She says. “You may return me to my body if you wish.”

You haven't even noticed Fluff, seeing he has a very worried look on his face until you pull the chip back out. When you return the chip to ARAs tail, his relief is very apparent.

“I thought you were going to keep her.” He says.

“You know me Fluff, I wouldn't take her from you even if someone offered me the world.” You say, pulling the AI chip out once ARA is transferred back in. “Besides, she's not a combat AI. She's very constrained with what she can do.”

“I-I am not!” She yells angrily. “I am not an AI with a singular function! I can do many things!”

“With authorization that I don't have.” You add. “Right now I want to focus on getting familiar with the armor and how it works. This is going to be the tool I will be using to keep all of you safe. I want to familiarize myself with it.”

“Uh, can you familiarize yourself with it later?” Vikna asks. “I need to talk with you.”

“We can talk-”

“NOT HERE!” She almost screams. “Get that armor off please. We need to talk somewhere private.”

You nod, stepping back inside the machine as it begins stripping your armor off.

1 hour later

You make it back to Viknas room and she immediately locks the door and its manual locking system.

“Jack, it's happening.” She says, stripping out of her clothes.

“What's happening?” You ask.

“Remember when I said I had a month before I went into heat?” She asks.

“No, when did you say that?” You ask in return.

“You probably were asleep. Well, it's been over a month and a half. Pills can only do so much...” She says.

“Wait, so you're in heat right now?” You ask.

“Yes, the time of the year where I'm very fertile.” She replies. “Don't worry though, I'm pretty sure that even in heat our species aren't compatible.”

“I wouldn't be so sure.” You tell her. “After all, Nytro is a hybrid. I don't know what kind of abominations would come of our DNA mixing. Not that I'm opposed to having children if it's with you, I just don't want them to be bullied...like...well, never mind.”

You make your way over to the bed and she pulls you to the sheets with a surprising amount of strength, pulling you into a passionate kiss as you begin stripping out of your clothes.

1 week later

You sit down in the bath, having endured an entire week of the most raunchy sex you've ever had or seen. She said it was the longest she's ever gone with a guy as well as the first time she's, uh, sated her heat. Even though your hips had been given ceramic ossification, they still hurt like a mother fucker. Your rule for having unprotected sex with her was to have her take a pregnancy test every morning after. If she wasn't pregnant, you'd continue. If she was...you would have to make preparations for being a dad. Luckily she was right about not being compatible, so she wasn't impregnated, even in her heightened state of fertility.

The door to the bathroom slides over and Vikna comes in, smiling when she sees you in the bath tub.

“Vikna, your heat is gone. If you come in this bath tub, I will throw you out.” You tell her. “Like a football.”

“No, I'm not going to fuck you in the bath again.” She replies, turning into the shower. “I gotta wash your spunk off me.”

“Do you need any help reaching your back?” You ask.

“I have a brush. I can manage.” She replies. “If you really want to, you can help.”

“I don't think I'm ready to stand yet.” You tell her.

She gets in the shower, tossing her bra and panties down on the floor and you see the shower turn on. Holographic curtains form around the shower and you lay back in the warm bath, relaxing your aching body.

2 hours later

You're putting the new blankets on the bed when the door opens, causing you to turn around.

“Holy Christ!” Ayn yells. “It smells like a peppermint exploded in here! How long were you two at it?!”

“Seven days.” You reply.

“Jack!” Vikna yells.

“Oh my god, seven days straight?” She asks. “That's...really impressive.”

“I wasn't even able to move after day three.” You reply. “I don't think I'll ever have better sex in my entire life.”

“Is that a challenge?” Ayn asks with a smirk.

“No, don't even think about it.” You tell her before realizing you were just talking about something extremely private. “W-wait, why am I even telling you any of this?!”

“Why are you here?!” Vikna asks loudly.

“I was coming to check up on you and him.” She says. “I heard he had some invasive surgery, so I came as soon as I could.”

She makes her way towards you, looking you up and down before you realize you forgot to put on something other than underwear. Her expression turns into that of horror, seeing all your cuts and scars.

“What happened?!” She asks, rubbing her hands along your arms before stopping. “Oh no, Jack, tell me you didn't...”

“I didn't enroll in the SS program, if that's what you're worried about.” You tell her. “I just got many of the same augments.”

“Why?!” She asks. “Those ruin your body!”

“Because my fight with Loki and that thing made me realize something!” You yell back. “I can't protect you. I can't protect you, Vikna, Zofie, ARA, or Nytro better than you can protect yourselves. If I don't have a gun, I'm useless. If I have a sword, I'm next to useless against someone who can use one. If I get into a fist fight with anyone who isn't weaker than I am, I will lose. I'm weak and this world values strength in a fight more than wits, which I have none of. When Loki beat you, and that thing beat Loki, I realized just how much of a match I am for anyone.”

“You don't need to protect us!” She yells.

“YES I DO!” You scream back. “Have you seen all the shit that's out there? HAVE YOU SEEN WHAT I'VE HAD TO FIGHT?! I need to keep pace with the times. Being a good shot isn't good enough anymore. I've had my leg broken, my arms broken, and my leg BLOWN OFF! It's a miracle I still have it! Now think about what could happen to Zofie. What could happen to Vikna. What could happen to you. Do you think I'd maim myself like this if I knew you could protect yourselves?! You may think otherwise but I value my new body! I don't just go cutting off parts because of some false urge to protect you. I do it because things have changed!”

“What has changed?” She asks. “What has changed that requires you to mutilate yourself like this?! What could you possibly think I can't beat?!”

“Things that are pouring in from my world to yours.” You say. “Things beyond your comprehension. Super natural forces of nature that could destroy entire cities. Things stronger than you or any of the blue guard could hope to be. Things that not even an SS could take down. The shit I've seen and fought against requires something more refined than a goddess with super strength or ice magic. If there was any other option, I would take it.”

“You're not going out on missions again! I won't let you!” She yells.

You're about to reply, but realize what she just said. You sit there, watching her wait for a response.

“Is that what you're worried about?” You ask. “You think I'm going to war again?”

“Yes.” She says. “I won't let you traumatize yourself anymore. I won't let you hurt yourself anymore.”

You then realize something you were completely oblivious to. Something you should've seen from the start. Not only were you trying to protect them, they were trying to protect you. You sit back down on the bed, needing to take a seat at having realized something so obvious.

“I'm not going to put myself through any more war unless one of you is in mortal danger. Okay? That's been the plan for a while now.” You tell her. “Please, you know how much I hate seeing all of you upset.”

“I...didn't know.” Ayn says, her ears folding back.

“Hey, it's fine.” You tell her. “I'm not mad at you.”

Her ears perk back up again and she smiles.

“When was the last time you two ate something?” She asks. “I know how these things go and you have to make time to eat.”

“Have we eaten?” You ask, looking back at Vikna.

She nods, pointing to a couple of protein bar wrappers caked in fluids. You immediately get up and pick them off the floor, throwing them in the garbage chute.

“Well, have you drank anything that isn't alcohol?” She asks.

You both nod.

“That wasn't from your body?” She asks.

You both nod, pointing to the 2 remaining water bottles that were half full.

“At least you did something right. Next time, remember to make time to eat or you'll starve yourselves.” Ayn says, smiling in understanding. “Let's go get something to eat.”

30 minutes later

You sit down next to Vikna and Ayn, who Vikna glances up at every now and again with distrust in her eyes. You look at Vikna and shake your head, but it doesn't seem to phase her.

“It's okay Jack. It's a post heat thing. She'll be very defensive of you for a week after.” Ayn explains, backing away from you. “I'm the same way after I come off a bad heat.”

“How long does it usually last?” You ask. “The heat I mean.”

“A few days, but really bad ones can last up to 6 days.” She replies. “Usually it only gets that bad if they're sexually repressed until their heat is up or they've been on heat medications for a long period of time. She's been both.”

“But we went for 7.” You tell her.

“I wanted to go slow and enjoy it after we had all of that hardcore sex.” She says shamelessly.

“Yeah, she must've been really repressed.” Ayn says in a teasing fashion.

Vikna just growls, but you put your hands behind your ears and scratch, earning a content purr from Vikna. When you release your hand, she begins eating her food, wolfing it down as you do too. You didn't realize just how hungry you were until now. The food is gone in an instant, leaving you somewhat full. Vikna pulls you into a hug and you smile, Ayn chuckling a bit.

“I haven't seen anyone this in love since that couple I helped set up a few years back.” She says. “They went at it so hard and long that I thought they'd hurt themselves. They really loved each other, but needed a push in the right direction.”

“That's cute. I'm gonna go get something more to eat. Want anything?” You ask Vikna.

“Yeah, see if they have any herstiun cheese cake.” She says. “I could go for some right now.”

You nod and get up, Vikna watching you the whole time with a smile on her face. You reach the counter and tap on the window, getting the cooks attention.

“Ah, hello Jackson. Have you come for more?” The cheetah asks in a thick Russian, er, Katrician accent.

“I'm here for a, uh, herstiun cheese cake and a bowl of ramen noodles.” You tell her.

“Alright, I think I have some cheese cake in the back.” She says, smiling at you as she walks to the back. “I'll be back shortly.”

She's back before you know it, a piece of cheese cake in one hand and a bowl of ramen in the other. The packets of sauce were inside the bowl, which was steaming hot. You walk back to the table to see a feline talking to Vikna, which was obviously making her uncomfortable.

“-in heat? I could help with that if you want.” He says.

“No, I'm fine.” She replies, scooting away from him. “It's been sated for a few days now...”

“I could use some company if you're looking for some love.” Ayn offers.

“Thank you princess, but I'm not really into girls who could snap me in half. Also, the Kavkor is in heat. I'm trying to help the her with her problem.” He says, unaware you're getting closer.

“Here's your cake Vikna.” You tell her, setting it down in front of her before looking at the feline. “Is there any trouble here?”

“No, none at all.” The feline says. “The Kavkor just needs a bit of...persuasion?”

He finally looks up at you and his face tenses up. You cross your arms and look him in the eye before talking.

“You know her and I are a thing, right?” You ask.

“O-oh shit!” He says. “I'm sorry, I didn't know!”

“Go off and eat your food. Find someone else to frolic in bed with.” You tell him, moving past him and sitting down.

He rushes off and you take out the packet of sauces, folding them together into one big sauce packet before tearing them all open at once. When you get the sauce inside, you begin stirring it into the noodles.

“Thanks. I didn't want to go off on him and make a scene.” Vikna says while you're stirring.

“Don't worry about it.” You say, finishing up your noodles.

You stick a manipulator full of noodles in your mouth and smile, looking down to see Vikna cutting into her cake with the same tool. It was so odd to use this thing, even after being here for so many months. It just felt...weird. Before you could stick a third bite into your mouth, you feel a tap on your shoulder. You look back and see a very large lizard looking back down at you.

“You been talkin' to my boy like he's trash?” He asks, pointing to the feline who now has a smug look on his face.

“I just told him that Vikna is my girlfriend and to find someone else to have sex with. If that's considered talking to someone like trash, then yes, I did.” You reply.

He pulls you out of the seat and tosses you onto the ground, causing you to slide into a table.

“You think you're funny?” He asks. “Some sort of comedian?”

“On occasion.” You reply, getting off the ground. “If you don't stop fucking with me, I'll fuck you up.”

“What makes you say that?” He asks, throwing a punch.

You easily sidestep out of the way, catching his arm and pulling his face close to yours.

“Because I'm strong enough to punch through skulls.” You tell him softly. “Even one as thick as yours.”

You turn him away from the table and push him away, watching as he hits the ground and slides into the wall. You then sit back down and continue eating your noodles in silence.

3 days later

You finally have gotten acquainted with your suit, being able to move around with ease, but still are trying to master the newfound mobility it gives you. You clocked yourself in on a vehicle treadmill going almost 75 miles an hour in the suit, which was no small feat to anyone who isn't a cheetah. However, moving at this speed hurt you a lot, even threatening to break your nearly unbreakable bones if you kept it up for any length of time. Ayn has gone back home, but Zofie and Nytro were due for a visit today. They wanted to see Vikna, ARA, and you. All of the core AI have been briefed and Fluff gave you the green light to take VST along if you needed any help in combat, which you were grateful for.

When you asked VST what she thought of it, she was uncharacteristically shy. It was unusual to see an AI with such a personality, as you thought she was extremely gung-ho the last time you talked. She was very shy and apprehensive in person, but said she would help any way she could. ARA offered as well, but you could tell she wanted to study the suit more than she wanted to help you. You couldn't blame her, since you also wanted to know how the suit worked. Maybe you should pay her a visit, let her root around a bit more.

As you walk through the halls, people move out of your way with terrified expressions. You make it to an empty elevator and press the button for the 45th floor on the space elevator deck. That's where she works most of the time. As you ride in the elevator, you look take a sip of water that you know is recycled urine, but it's good enough, since you can't take off your helmet. Nobody must know who is inside the suit, since ARA confirmed it was EM shielded. When you finish drinking the water, you tap a button on the front of your helmet and it retracts back inside.

The elevator stops on her floor, giving way to a hallway of very confused anthroids and anthros. You take steps toward where ARA works and turn into the room, opening it up and preparing to enter. When the door opens, you see ARA laying on the floor, steam venting from every orifice on her face. You immediately sprint over to her, putting a hand on her.

“O-o-overl-l-load imm-imminent please b-ba-back away.” ARA says, glitching out as more steam hits your helmet.

“I'm going to help!” You say, looking for a way to cool her down.

“The-there was an-an-an overload-load charge sho-shot at me-me. Una-able to purge enough heat-heat. Main cor-core reach-eaching critical-cal temperature.” She says, continuing to glitch out.

You look to her tail connector and try disconnecting it, but it seems to have been welded in place by a malicious entity. You try to break the weld, but can't get a grip on the smooth rings connecting her to the outlet.

“ARA, you're not going to like this, but I have to do it to save you.” You tell her.

“I-I am an-an AI mist-mist-mister Jac-ack-ackson. We ar-re expend-endable.” She says, pointing to the door.

“Not to me.” You say, pulling the AI chip out of your head. “Can you transfer yourself through your mouth?”

“Ye-yes.” She replies.

You open her mouth, steam and smoke ceasing to pour out as you put the chip inside. She closes her mouth and her lighting goes black, prompting you to open her mouth and take out the chip. When you stick it in your helmet, she immediately begins talking.

“RUN! NOW!” She yells frantically. “My body is about to explode!”

You run for the door before you see your shields boost to double strength at the rear, feeling something kick you forward towards the door. When you're at the door, a massive explosion envelopes you and the hallway, taking out your shields completely. When the fire recedes, air begins pulling bits of debris back into the room. You hit the emergency fire door button and a door slams shut, sealing the room with a hiss. When you look around, you see a few anthros with singed fur, but nobody looks too hurt.

You sit down with a loud metallic clang, glad you got ARA out of there with your life. The crew begin approaching you cautiously, unsure of what just happened or what you did. You seal off your voice vents and pull out ARAs chip, showing her to them. They all breath a sigh of relief before one takes a step forward, reaching for the chip. You pull it back quickly, reinserting it into your helmet. You don't know who sabotaged ARA or what they look like, so nobody is getting this AI until you know who destroyed her.

“We need to find the other AI.” A voice says inside your head.

“What?” You ask, not knowing if it was a flashback or not.

“It's me, ARA.” ARA replies. “I appear to be communicating directly to your brain. This is certainly an odd feeling for me, though feeling might not be the right word.”

“I don't need you to explain how you feel things. I need directions to Warning's work station.” You say, not in the mood for a lecture.

“I have marked it on your map.” She says. “We should move swiftly before she is taken as well. I am detecting 6 more AI containment devices on your person, maybe you could use them to rescue the rest if they are incapacitated.”

You nod, following the map marker at blistering speed.

10 minutes later

You make it to the alert center, seeing that the door is locked tight.

“ARA, can you manipulate my shields into a plasma cutter?” You ask.

“Done.” She says, a plasma blade forming in the shape of an energy sword. “Took it from an onboard database of bladed weapons. It appears to be alien.”

You slice open the door down the middle, throwing the two halves of the door open to reveal the short black and yellow imp-like cat desperately clawing at her tail. It was also welded to an outlet. When you near her, you see her throat has been torn apart, along with a few key points on her body as well. She is venting steam and smoke from these openings along with her nose and ears. When she sees you, she attempts to call out but the only thing that happens is more steam comes out.

“Her artificial vocal cords and transmitters have been cut! She is still salvageable, but I recommend storing her on a device so she may talk.” ARA tells you.

You nod and walk up to her, watching as she attempts to scamper away from you. You hold her in place as her little paws kick at your helmet, very precisely cutting along the weld to free her from the bonds that held her. When the weld is cut, you unlock her from the cable and she backs away, unsure of what to make of you. Her lips spell out “who” and you respond by unpolarizing your visor for a split second. She smiles and you hold up an AI containment chip, which she raises her tail for. You can't tell if this is sexual or not, but there wasn't any time for that. When you insert the chip, she goes limp and immediately begins speaking from the device.

“Danger! Terrorist forces still onboard station! They aim to destroy all the AI onboard before destroying the cores!” She says frantically.

“It's fine. Mister, uh, Sierra has a plan.” ARA responds through the suits speaker.

You nod in agreement, sticking the AI chip inside your chest compartment for safe keeping. Warning links to your radio and you keep moving towards the next AI. TDK.

5 minutes later

You reach TDK as the doors are about to close, sliding between them as metal scrapes on metal. You're really getting the hang of this suit. Warning vocalizes her discontent with you damaging the floors, but you ignore her as per usual. TDK is sitting on the floor, stunned at your arrival. She isn't venting steam, so you must be early.

“I require assistance.” She says. “The men have welded me to a mainframe and are flooding me with navigation requests. I can not deny any of them, as they all come from an O-10.”

You nod, making your way to her with your plasma gauntlet active.

“Hold still sister. His job is only made harder if you struggle.” ARA says over the speaker system.

She nods and her tail stops moving, allowing you to slice neatly down the center of the weld. It snaps and you pull out an AI containment chip, putting it next to her tail.

“He wishes to keep you safe with him.” ARA informs her. “Your body may still prove compromised like mine and Warning's.”

She nods, allowing you to insert the chip into her tail and transfer her AI.

“Did you just say sister?” You ask ARA.

“Well, it's more of a figure of speech. We're all technically sister systems.” She replies. “It also sounds more organic and gives us some, well, personality.”

You nod, having already started running towards VSTs station.

“I have already sent the notification. VST was just subdued a minute ago, so if we can make it there in time, we might catch whoever is doing this.” ARA tells you.

When you arrive, you discover the door has been lodged shut, prompting you to activate the plasma blade. You slice through the door with a swift downward motion,ripping the doors open to see the form of VST laying limp as she looks around, startled by your presence. Behind her, you see a human in a mask, flipping it up with his eyes seeming to bulge out of his head. He pulls a gun out and fires a few shots, which depletes your shields by a hair.

“My turn.” You say as you reopen the blade.

He fires the rest of his magazine, depleting more of your shields before you slam your fist into his head, slicing into his brain with your blade and punching him back from VST.

“T-thank you.” VST says timidly.

“Mister Sierra will take good care of you.” ARA says. “No need for your timidness sub-routine. He's very understanding.”

“Thank you. My sub-routines have a mind of their own.” She says as you hold the AI chip out to her. “Do you wish for me to enter this?”

You nod and she sticks her tail up, appearing to not have fine control over it. When she removes the rather large end cap, you stick it in and her body goes limp, prompting you to put her in the safety of your chest piece. She links up with your radio and begins communicating with her sisters.

5 minutes later

You reach the last room, which was a sort of bridge area for the Tower. The door was once again blocked off, so you needed to slice it open. When you make your cut, you try and open the door, but it's stuck. You try kicking it open with your leg, but no dice. It would take too long to cut open the entire door, so you needed to ram it. You run back to the edge of the hallway and sprint forward, going shoulder first as ARA increases shields to that part of your suit. There were 5 overlapping shields to cushion you from the impact, but you had a better idea.

“Get ready to lock the armor up.” You tell her. “Don't question it, just do it when I tell you.”

You've reached your top speed by now, going faster than any human has ever ran before. When you're about 60 feet away, you leap into the air, careful not to hit your head on the ceiling.

“LOCK NOW!” You shout.

You feel the gel layer squeeze you tight and immobilize you as you smash through the door.

“Unlock!” You yell, ARA freeing your body up as you look for a target in your flying state. “Engage thrusters!”

You hear the thrusters engage and the two terrorists are just starting to turn around. That's when you realize you're in slow motion. Is this the power of enhanced reflexes? You thrust toward one of them, activating your gauntlet before thrusting downward, slamming his head into the floor and creating a thin red paste from his skull. You quickly dispatch the other, slicing the top of his skull off and kicking him into a wall. Your shields take a hit from behind and you turn around to see a coyote holding an old wooden shotgun, frantically loading shells into the two barrels. The speed at which you're on him is less than the blink of an eye, causing him to let out an instinctive whine as you relieve him of his weapon.

After you cave his skull in, you scan the room with the shotgun, satisfied when nobody else is around. You put the shotgun on your back in case more decide to show up.

“You, who are you?” Zeta asks. “That was some very impressive speed for an organic.”

“This is Sierra, Mother. He is-”

Before she could finish, the station begins shaking but no warnings are going off. You decide to break radio silence and open up your speaking vents.

“Get to your post!” You yell, taking Warning and TDK out of your chest along with VST. “Start talking to the fleet! Let them know we're about to be boarded!”

You plug VST into her respective console, seeing it light up green as a hologram of her form pops up. There's a quick nod between you two and you begin plugging in the other AI chips, including ARAs.

“SRK, Alert the crew that we are being boarded! VST, start repelling boarders with the turrets and deck guns! TDK, if they start shooting at us, maneuver the Tower out of the way! I know this tub has thrusters to align itself with the platform. Even one degree of freedom from the ground could translate into thousands of feet up here.” You say, ordering everyone to their posts. “ARA, relay their requests to the appropriate areas! Come on people, we got a station to defend!”

Vikna

You make your way to the final area, the Tower's auxiliary bridge. When you enter, you see Jack plugging in multiple AI chips. All of the holograms pop up, representing the AI they're attached to. ZTA is already talking on coms while Jack steps back before speaking.

“SRK, Alert the crew that we are being boarded! VST, start repelling boarders with the turrets and deck guns! TDK, if they start shooting at us, maneuver the Tower out of the way! I know this tub has thrusters to align itself with the platform. Even one degree of freedom from the ground could translate into thousands of feet up here.” He says, taking charge of the bridge. “ARA, relay their requests to the appropriate areas! Come on people, we got a station to defend!”

“Aye aye!” They all say in unison.

You immediately hear the deck guns firing on ships outside, but as you move, Jack turns around, a plasma sword erupting from his gauntlet. When he sees you, he instantly relaxes, waving you up to him.

“Terrorists are here.” He says. “If you want to take command, I'll clean the bodies up. I'm not really fit to command something this big.”

“I don't know, you were doing a pretty good job a second ago.” You say with a knowing smile.

He looks back at all the bridge AI looking at him and back to you, turning to ZTA. She nods and he stands up straight.

“Yes, ma'am.” He says, giving you an Earth salute. “You heard her! Start organizing an evacuation to the lower levels of the Tower. Only necessary personnel are to be kept in pressurized sections of the elevator! Get the shields up to start deflecting energy weapons and seal off outer bulkheads when they're evacuated! We need as much space as possible to defend against projectiles as we can spare!”

“Aye aye, sir.” They all say, an evacuation notice coming up on all the screens.

After they say that, everything he does becomes a blur. You heard him talking in his sleep about how it was all his fault, how he never really led anyone and when he did, they all died or got injured. You saw him work and knew this wasn't true. He has confidence issues, not leadership issues. When he's taken charge, he's surprisingly knowledgeable for a ground soldier. Ship to ship combat, which takes months to learn from proper courses. He knows many basics and a few advanced maneuvers for space warfare, which is impressive considering he has no naval experience or space combat experience on file.

A massive boom brings you out of your trance, seeing Jack pointing a wooden gun at the door, barrel smoking. When you look down, you see a dead coyote, holding a pulse rifle. He opens the weapon up and tosses a plastic shell on the ground, loading another one before closing up the gun.

“How are we looking Zeta?” He asks, firing off another shot at the door.

“Fleet is here, they're swatting whatever is near us out of the skies.” She replies. “They tried to jam coms, but it was very primitive, nothing I can't handle.”

“Vikna, wall up that door!” He says, firing one more shot before opening the barrel.

You nod, throwing up an ice wall, which traps a man inside. Jack ends his life by firing another shot at his head, making his eyes pop from his head. A bit of blood and brains splats on your clothes, making you flick it off with your nail. That's really gross.

“Is everyone evacuated from this floor?” He asks.

“Yes, everyone is off this floor.” Warning replies.

“Vent all oxygen from this floor outside of this room. The seal on Viknas ice should hold long enough for oxygen to be replaced.” He says.

“Authorization required.” Zeta says. “Two O-4s are required to agree on this decision.”

“What about an O-6 and an O-9?” He asks.

“This would also work. I assume you agree Ramenskaya?” Zeta asks you.

“As long as no friendlies remain, I'm okay with-”

Before you could finish, a massive thing breaks through your ice wall, stopping in front of Jack. It was...no...

“You shouldn't have intervened.” The SS from before tells him.

“What?” He asks.

The SS throws a punch that's too quick to follow, throwing Jack back into the wall and destroying a console. Jack tries to get up, but the SS is on him before he can. He's thrown into a wall, the SS turning to Zeta now. She sees this and dashes for the door, but he's much faster than she is. He throws a punch that severs her synth flesh, exposing her mechanical innards as she's thrust into a wall. Jack gets up, rushing at the Husky, but he just turns around and bitch slaps Jack into another console.

“Mister Jackson, are you alright?!” ARA asks, worried.

His armor has a large dent in the chest piece, which was surprising considering how he was able to take a rifle round without flinching in that armor. He looks over to the console he's by and sees a hologram of VST looking back, hand up to her muzzle. When he looks back at Zeta, she's being broken down by the hulking titan. He quickly takes VSTs chip out after a quick non-verbal exchange and sticks her in the back of his helmet. When the husky is done, Zeta is completely inoperable, having been torn apart and leaking fluid. Her hair connectors were destroyed, along with her tail and muzzle. You could see Jack visibly tighten up at this.

“I'm gonna tear you a new asshole.” He says, grabbing the Husky's attention.

He extends his arm and a large plasma sword erupts from it, sounding like an explosion as his movements become more fluid and almost rehearsed. The sword was now red instead of the normal blue you saw earlier.

“You aren't strong enough to beat me, even in that fancy suit of yours.” He says.

“VST, overdrive.” He says, the blue accents on his armor turning red. “We can beat you in less than 10 seconds or the next beating's free.”

The Husky charges, but Jack side steps, slicing into the thick armor plating of the SS trooper. The troopers armor falls to the floor, having lost a major connecting point. Jack fires the shotgun he ripped off his back into the rear of the SS, blasting a hole into the Husky's midsection. The legs of the SS trooper fall from under him as he whines in pain, his spine crippled from the shot.

“Nice shot VST.” He says. “Wanna finish him off?”

He waits for a while before he relaxes a bit, his lighting returning to blue.

“How did you react so fast?” The Husky asks, flipping himself onto his back.

“I didn't do anything. That was all VST.” He replies. “You were a threat to Vikna, myself, and all of the AI in this room, so VST was given the clearance to take over my suit. You've been neutralized, so she can't kill you, but I have no such restriction.”

He backs away, no emotion showing, though he clearly didn't want to die.

“That's not fair...” He says, looking at his arms. “I'm one of the strongest troopers we have. How could some stupid combat AI beat me?”

“Strength doesn't always mean victory.” He replies, loading the double barreled weapon. “You need a balance of strength and agility, which you lack compared to a proper combat AI.”

He nears the Husky, who is now backed into a corner. Jack levels the shotgun with his arm and shoots once into both arms, tossing the shotgun away.

“That's cheap.” He says. “Of all the people, I thought you would be the one to fight fair. We're both SS, right?”

“Wrong.” He says, slamming the sword into he Husky's head.

The massive muscular man slumps, being killed by the sword before Jack pulls it back, ejecting the chip from his helmet. He slides it back inside the console, VST popping up as a hologram.

“You were never SS.” He says quietly, assuming you couldn't hear him.

“Alert! All boarding parties have been fended off!” Warning announces. “No further action required outside the Tower.”

Jack nods, walking over to you before trying to take his helmet off.

“Shit, I think it's stuck.” He tells you. “Well, we can deal with that later, let's go-”

He suddenly cuts himself off and whips around, the plasma sword exploding from his wrist. He's off like a flash, but stops suddenly, a blade being sliced in half with Nytro on the other side.

“Oh shit!” Jack says. “I'm so sorry!”

“What the hell? Who's in that suit?!” He asks angrily.

“It's Jack! The helmet's stuck on!” Jack says, trying to remove it as the sword dissipates. “Fuck, uh, I thought you were a threat. My motion tracker showed you as red, so-”

“My sword!” He yells. “God dammit Jack!”

“I'll fix it!” Jack says. “Just give me some time and I'll fix it.”

Jack

You walk over to where the piece of sword landed, which was just feet away from Vikna. You felt terrible, but he just came out of nowhere. Hell, he probably would've gotten you if you hadn't intervened. Well, that was in the past now, no way to change it. Time to take responsibility for your actions. You walk over to Nytro with the blade in hand, holding your hand out.

“I'll fix it real quick.” You tell him. “Hopefully the material from my armor is as strong as what your blade is made of.”

He sighs, handing you the blade.

“Fine, just don't ruin it any more than you have.” He tells you. “It's worth more to me than you could ever know.”

You nod and take the two pieces, sticking them together and activating the nanite repair suite. Your suit sits you down gently, metal running over your hand and onto the sword. It repairs itself, the scar visible in the metal as the nanites run back to your suit. As they run along, the sword is sharpened with a bit of scraping before they make it back to your suit, going back inside a hole in your arm you didn't notice before. The hole closes up and you hand the sword back to Nytro, who swipes it away angrily.

“We come over to see what's going on and I find out there's an ongoing terrorist attack? What the hell are you people doing here?” He asks. “This is why Katricians should've stayed on Serko. You people can't handle your own security.”

He sheathes the sword and you shake your head.

“I think I did pretty well.” You reply. “Saved ARA from certain doom as well as all the other AI while killing one of the strongest SS they had.”

He looks back and you follow his eyes, seeing Zeta laying on the ground, still very much mangled. Her face had a very disgruntled look on it, her one good eye watching as you ignored her. You walk up to her and look around, trying to find a viable port to access. You finally find one and insert the AI container, watching as Zeta goes dark before entering the chip.

“We're gonna need a new form for ARA, but I assume Zeta can be repaired.” You say, putting the chip inside a port.

“What happened to ARA?!” Vikna asks in distress.

“She blew up.” You reply. “I did everything I could, but the only way to save her was to put her on an AI chip.”

“Mister Jackson did everything he could.” ARA adds. “I was trying my best to back my personality up, but with the sudden influx of data, I couldn't do anything.”

“We were all welded to our stations and given an influx of tasks we were required to complete by the director.” VST adds. “I doubt it was from the actual director, but I couldn't just say no like you organics can.”

“Wait, why are you even in here?!” ARA asks, annoyed. “This is a restricted area!”

“Can it Red, not in the mood for your protocol right now.” Nytro replies, obviously still angry about...something.

“Nytro, don't talk to her like that. She's your friend for gods sake!” Vikna yells.

“Shut up Blue! You call me up asking me to come over and see him and it's another god damn terrorist attack!” He yells, pointing a finger at her and you multiple times. “You're always calling me in to clean up your messes and I'm sick of it!”

“I didn't know this time!” She yells back. “I really didn't know!”

“Bullshit!” He shouts. “I heard about what happened a month ago! I was here as a consultant and organized a security force while he was bed ridden AGAIN!”

“Don't bring him into this! He saved the Tower!” Vikna yells.

“I think I should go.” You say, walking for the door.

“Oh no you don't!” Nytro yells. “I'm not done with you yet!”

“This is getting out of hand. Unfortunately, security is too busy to have officer Sykran removed.” VST says.

“Let him leave if he wants, this is about politics, not him!” Vikna keeps yelling.

“You idiot Katricians wouldn't know how to wipe your own asses if we didn't teach you how! You think technology can compensate for everything and that's not how the real world works!” He says, walking over to the AI. “These bots can't protect you from everything! You need to stop relying on them!”

He attempts to take one of the chips out, but the slot closes off, not letting him take it.

“You will not take my personality matrix!” ARA yells. “You are agitated and will likely damage me if I allow it!”

“Come on Nytro, enough is enough.” You say, trying to be the voice of reason.

“SHUT UP RETARD!” He screams, extremely angry at you. “I have to listen to you bitch and moan about your problems as you actively worsen the situation and mood of everyone around you! I can't stand you! You almost got my best friend KILLED! Everywhere you go, you bring violence and death with you!”

“Nytro!” Vikna yells.

“SHUT UP!” He shouts back before looking at you. “I come here, expecting to be able to hang out with Red and Warning, but Red's destroyed and Warning is just about there as well!”

“But I-”

“I SAID SHUT THE FUCK UP!” He screams, enraged. “You have nothing to contribute but more misery and verbal diarrhea! All you do is kill and complain and I'VE FUCKING HAD IT!”

Your mouth is agape right now. This is such a stark contrast to how he usually acts. You felt tears well up in your eyes as he continues to verbally abuse you.

“I constantly need to clean up both of your messes when you screw up! I had to help stabilize Siania when you left and was actually going to have you help me! You must've done something, because the flight turned around on a perfectly fucking clear day! Siania has been in fucking turmoil since you screwed with everything!” He continues shouting. “There are procedures to dethroning a false queen! You'd know that if you were in a position to do anything about Kesis! But NOOOO, you had to go out of your way to SHOOT THE GOD DAMN BOX! People thought the real queen was assassinated and replaced by a double!”

“NYTRO THAT'S FUCKING ENOUGH!” Vikna screams.

“No, it's never enough, because this fucking idiot never stops!” Nytro continues. “He endangers the peace merely by existing! Then he attempts to clean up his mess before making even more problems for the rest of us! Those ships above the planet could've easily FTL rammed this planet and blown it apart, but he decides to use NUCLEAR MISSILES to destroy them above a populated space! Not only is this a terrible idea because of radiological concerns, but you didn't make enough to destroy the entire orbital fleet! They could've destroyed the entire planet because of your idiocy!”

“I did what I had to.” You tell him.

“YOU WERE WRONG TO DO WHAT YOU DID!” He shouts. “YOU'RE ALWAYS WRONG!”

“I-I just want to help...” You say, on the verge of tears.

“Stop trying to help!” Nytro shouts. “Just go back to Earth already! Take all of your garbage from Earth with you! We don't want or need you!”

You hear a click and feel the helmet slide up a bit, finally releasing itself from the latches. You pull it off and he cocks his head.

“I-I will.” You say, sniffling a bit. “You won't see me a-again.”

As you say that, a tear falls down your face. Viknas ears fold on top of her head as she shakes her head, mouthing the word no. You walk out of the door, helmet in your hands as you walk toward the elevator, intent on doing what you were told.

2 hours later

You reach the receptionists office of the administrators area, which was where Fluff spent most of his time. When you enter, the receptionist recognizes your face and smiles. When you get closer, her smile is replaced with a worried frown.

“You okay sweetie?” She asks.

“I need to talk with the director.” You reply robotically.

“Okay, I'll buzz you through.” She says.

When the door opens, he's sitting at his desk, talking with someone on a rather out of place computer.

“-attack. Yeah, I think PD took care of them. Yeah...ARA exploded, but the rest of their forms are fine and repairable. Yeah, her form is easily replaceable.” He says. “Yeah, I hope Nytro and Zofie made it in safely. Had them divert to a secure Tower landing pad.”

“Hey, you got a minute?” You ask, trying your hardest to hide your sadness.

He looks back, smiling before he looks up at you. You can't meet his gaze, looking off to the side.

“What happened?” He asks. “Are you crying?”

You shake your head, but your eyes betray you and begin leaking the salty tears that signified you were lying. You hear him get up and he walks over to you, putting a hand on one of your shoulders.

“What did you do?” He asks. “I've never seen you cry before.”

“I want to go home.” You tell him. “All of the stuff in that storage room needs to come too. The longer I stay here, the more harm I do.”

“Who told you that?” He asks.

“I figured it out on my own.” You lie.

“I can tell you're lying.” He says, calling you out.

“I just want to go home, okay? I bought you the time you need to train troops and form a fighting force. I'll try and return some of these objects to the owners and the rest I'll try and keep in storage. You've seen my garage, it's massive.” You tell him.

“Well, I guess you've done your job.” He says. “I guess it's the least I can do. Fine, I'll teleport you back home and put everything in that garage of yours. It should all be organized and categorized while the aircraft will be put at your airport.”

He taps a few buttons and begins moving objects around in a virtual space before he smiles, opening up a portal for you.

“Happy trails. I hope you can come for a visit once Siania has been dealt with.” He says. “You know where to find me. Your guns have all been put in the garage too.”

You nod and walk through the portal, arriving at the bottom of your driveway. You see a small car sitting at the top of the driveway, along with your mother and the dog that's still kicking around. When the portal closes behind you, the dog notices, barking at you as your mother gets up from her chair. She looks down the driveway and you wave, watching as she makes her way down the driveway. You look back at the garage and see the right hand door is open, revealing a Mustang in the garage door.

“Who are you?!” Your mother asks before you turn around. “Jackson?”

“Hey mom.” You tell her.

“What are you wearing?” She asks. “Is that some sort of costume?”

“No, it's armor.” You tell her, walking over to the sand box.

You lift the railroad tie off the sandbox and look back at her, watching as she stands in shock. You set it back down and slam it in place, pushing the railroad spikes back in place. You walk toward the garage and make it inside, hearing your mother gasp when she sees what's inside.

“What is all this?” She asks.

“It's all mine.” You tell her. “I found it where I was fighting.”

“I don't understand...this is a car from over 60 years ago, why do you have it?” She asks.

“Wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff.” You tell her. “I don't understand it and won't pretend to. Can you leave me be? I have to think about what I'm going to do for the rest of my life now that my girlfriend is gone.”

She nods, leaving you alone as you walk up to the machine that strips you of your armor, stepping onto it and letting it relieve you of your suit. When it's all off, you step down, walking past the car and toward a bag with a glowing beacon on it. Next to it is the capsule with the dimension inside it, which you intend to keep a secret from everyone. Maybe you can island hop across the Atlantic and fight as a mercenary? No, you're not about to go out and shoot more people.

When you make it to the bag, you find your uniform and put it on, making sure it's up to regulations. After this, you walk up with the gun bag in one arm and your backpack in another. When you make it up the driveway, you see an anthro exit the house, beginning to talk with your mother.

“-be back in a bit.” He says, walking to the small car in the driveway. “Gotta get Kelly some more baby supplies.”

She nods and he notices you coming up the driveway.

“Who's that?” He asks.

“He's my son.” She says. “Say hi Jack.”

“Hi.” You reply, walking past the car and into the garage. “I swear to god if I find any fleas I'm going ballistic.”

“Watch your-

“If you tell me to watch my mouth I'm going to punch a hole in your skull.” You interrupt. “I think I've earned the right to say what I want.”

You walk in the house, seeing your sister in front of the door as you take your supplies inside.

“Jack?” She asks.

“I'm going to sleep for a while. Don't bring your baby in my room please.” You tell her, tired and sad.

You keep going, seeing a bit of fur on the ground that more than likely belongs to the dog your sister is dating. When you walk into the living room, you see a crib in the middle of it, a small anthro puppy sitting inside. You ignore it, walking up to your bedroom with your bags in hand. When you make it to your bedroom, you see a small futuristic bag sitting inside, the name Zofie written on the holo-tag. Your body pillow was on the floor and you decided to leave it there, not feeling like you even deserved that.

“JAAAACK!” Your mom shouts up. “You have a visitor!”

You sigh, walking toward the door and looking down. You see Vikna standing downstairs, looking into the crib before she sees you.

“Vikna!” You yell happily, rushing down the stairs.

You walk to her and pull her into a hug, which she returns.

“I said if Nytro didn't want you there, I wasn't going to be there either.” She says, rubbing against your chest.

“What about your work?” You ask. “I thought you loved your job.”

“You were willing to give up everything for me. I think it's only fair I'm prepared to do the same.” She says.

You wrap your hands around her head and begin stroking gently, now content with everything that's happening. This was your life now.


	12. Chapter 11: Peace disturbed

1 month later

It was cold. Everyone was stuck inside due to a massive blizzard that had snowed everyone in. Your mother was out somewhere, unable to get home due to there being at least a foot of snow on the roads. Downstairs, you could hear your sister and her boyfriend squealing like pigs as they “rut” as Vikna put it. She had been trying to get you to do it for a few minutes now, but you didn't really feel like it. What if they heard you down stairs and came up to you two fucking? You'd never be able to live it down. Actually...you just finished insulating the garage down the driveway, so maybe you could both go down there.

“If you really want to do it so bad, we can go down to the barn and fuck like animals.” You tell her. “I think there was a couch in there somewhere.”

“But it's really cold down there though...” Vikna says, cuddling up to you. “Your house is so warm.”

“What if they both come up here though?” You ask, hearing another moan come from the canine anthro. “If you want to do it, we're going down in the garage. That's final.”

Vikna sits there, weighing her options as you stroke her hair gently. She sniffs the air her nose making its way down to your crotch before she shakes her head a bit.

“You need a shower.” She tells you. “You're pheromone bombing the entire house and that's why I'm so horny.”

“I've taken two showers already.” You tell her. “I think you're just lying because you want my dick.”

“It's either that or...you're pent up, aren't you?” She asks.

“What? No!” You lie. “I'm perfectly fine.”

“Liar.” She tells you with a smile. “That's why you've been down in that barn so much. You're trying to distract yourself from your baser instincts.”

“You make me sound like some sort of animal.” You say. “Just because I'm trying to fix up those old clunkers doesn't mean I want to fuck you...really hard...and hold you close while I...okay, you got me. I...I'm pent up.”

“Well come on, take off your clothes and let me at least suck you off.” She tells you.

“I don't think so.” You tell her. “Not here. I don't need pothead and her retard friend making their way up here when they hear us grunting and groaning.”

“The garage is too cold though...” She tells you.

“You know I put a heater inside it, right?” You ask. “I can turn that on and the garage will heat up real quick.”

“That's not going to be fast enough.” She tells you. “We'll both freeze together if we do it in there.”

“I'm not doing it in the house Vikna.” You tell her. “Garage or I'm jacking off in my office. Your choice.”

“F-fine. I guess we'll both be freezing our asses off in the garage.” She tells you, getting up from the couch as you let her go.

You get off the couch and make your way into the kitchen, Vikna practically attached to your side as you put a coat over your free side. When you put the other side of the coat over Vikna, she doesn't move and begins purring softly. You both make your way out into the regular parking garage, which now held two cars like it was meant to. After you step down toward the door to the garage, you open it up and are blasted with icy wind. Snow pelts your face before Vikna thrusts her hand out, an electric shock coming from you as the snow seems to completely part. There's a small path carved into the snow and she looks as surprised as you are, looking up at you before looking back down at the path.

“I was expecting to just part the snow that's coming down from the sky, not make a path to your barn.” She says. “I must be getting a lot better at magic.”

“So that's what you just spent all your residual Tau on? Clearing a path in the snow?” You ask, walking down said path as the snow has ceased falling for the time being.

“What else was I going to use it for? I can't freeze anyone since there's not enough Tau stuck to me.” She tells you. “Can't even make an ice dagger with that much Tau.”

You nod and both make your way down the driveway, the wind whipping you both in the face as you near the garage. When you reach the door, you see the brand new garage door you had installed, having had to remove the old one due to there being bullet holes in it. There was the slight smell of cat piss in the wind, but you just assumed it was some kind of pheromone Vikna was letting off. When you open the door, you feel a wave of heat blast you in the face, hurrying inside before closing the garage door. When you close the door behind you, the lights are on and music is playing by the couch, the heater working on the roof as you take off your coat. When you look around, you see everything is still where it was left, nothing having been moved as you look over toward the shelving. It was blocking the couch from view, but you could see a shadow sitting on the couch. You push Vikna back and make your way over to the shelving, crouching down low before getting to the side of the shelving. You grab a pipe off the shelf and round the corner, ready to whip the pipe at whoever was there. That is, before you saw who it was.

“Hey Jack...” Twix says, looking down at the floor. “I, uh, came through the portal to your garage before Rei could make it through. It closed behind me and I've been stuck here for a few days.”

“What?” You ask. “Was there a reason Fluff was coming?”

“Because he wanted to check on you and see how you're doing. You haven't been online in almost three weeks.” He replies. “I was there because they needed a technician, but I tripped and fell into the portal.”

You look around the couch and see used tissues and boxes of crackers and chips laying around, a pot with boiling water sitting on top of a gas heater.

“Have you been jerking off on my couch?” You ask.

“W-what? No!” He says shakily as you continue to look at him, which causes him to look down. “Yes...”

“Why? It's only been three days dude.” You tell him.

“You're not mad?” He asks in return.

“I'm concerned is what I am. I don't need you dying in my garage because you decided jerk away all the water inside your body.” You tell him.

“S-stop talking about it so casually!” He snaps.

“You've been living off chips and boiled water for the past three days?” You ask.

“It's been more like seven.” He replies. “I couldn't lift the garage doors very far. They must've been frozen shut.”

“In all that time, you didn't think to call me and ask me to bail you out?” You ask.

“I thought you'd be mad at me.” He tells you.

“I also don't want a dead cat in my garage and an angry artist screaming in my ear.” You tell him.

“B-but I called you a fag basher.” He says.

“You called it how it was.” You reply. “You're lucky the power didn't go out. You would've been done for if it did.”

“Why? How cold is it outside?” He asks.

“Around negative 3 Fahrenheit.” You reply.

“Wait, not to sound ungrateful, but why are you outside in weather that cold?” He asks.

You look back and see Vikna standing back by the biggest garage door in the barn, blushing slightly before you look back at him.

“I...uh...well, we were going to do something-”

“He's pent up and needs a release. His sister and brother in law are fucking in the basement.” Vikna answers for you.

“O-oh.” He says with a blush. “I can get out of your way if you want. It won't bother me and I'll go underneath that big overhang there.”

“Well, are you sure? I could walk you back up to the house and-”

“Too late for that. Storm just picked up.” She tells you, the howling of the wind confirming it. “We're going to be snowed in.”

You look back at him and he gets up, grabbing the box of tissues before attempting to walk off. You grab him by the shoulder, turning him around and grabbing the tissues.

“Please don't jerk off to us having sex.” You tell him. “That's really fucked dude.”

“W-well I haven't had sex in over a week!” He tells you.

“Try a month.” You tell him. “I'll put a call in to Fluff once the storm clears. Other than that, stay in your little room and don't make a sound. If I hear you jerking yourself off, I'll rip your dick off and feed it to you.”

He folds his ears back as he gulps and you toss the tissues on the floor of the garage, watching him wrap his tail around the front before walking over to the large floor your dad made. You hear the small door you put on close shut and watch the window, seeing the blind close as the light turns on inside. Hopefully some of the books in there will be able to keep him entertained while you...do it.

“Mmm, now that he's out of the way, I think it's time for the main event.” Vikna tells you, stripping out of her clothes.

You feel yourself begin pitching a tent in your pants as Vikna giggles.

“Am I really pretty enough to make you hard just from seeing my chest?” She asks with a blush.

“Absolutely.” You reply, taking off your pants and shirt as you lay back on the couch.

Vikna makes her move, making her way toward you before turning off the burner. When she arrives at the couch, you lay against it and she climbs up on top of you, her tail curling around her and resting on your chest. You grasp it gently an she lets out a gasp, smiling gently as she strips out of her panties. You feel her pull your underwear off you as you lift yourself up off the couch. Your dick slaps against her stomach as she giggles at you, kissing you on the chest before pulling herself up to your face.

“Do you want to go straight for it or do foreplay?” She asks.

“S-straight for it.” You tell her. “T-try and keep quiet, I don't want him getting any ideas.”

“Oh, let the poor kid watch. He hasn't seen any pussy in at least a week.” She tells you. “I-it's also kind of hot having him watch.”

“W-well, I don't like being cucked.” You tell her.

“If anything, he's the one being cucked, not you.” She says back. “He's got a fertile girl of the same species riding a big human cock that completely out classes him in every way. No barbs, no cat piss smell, no nothing. It's just a thick creamy load from my big human boyfriend. And that cat will never ever get to tap this!”

You hear a groan come from the room and are about to get up when Vikna sets herself down on your rock hard cock.

“D-don't do anything too hasty.” She tells you. “This is the only time. I p-promise.”

You can't decide what's worse. The fact that Twix is jerking off to Vikna pseudo-cucking him or the fact she finds it hot. She begins to move up and down steadily, moaning loudly enough for him to hear it in the other room. You grasp her ass tight and she lets out a cry, looking back over to the room before looking back down. She has a grin a mile wide on her face, sticking her tail up high in the air as she continues to go down on you. Her tongue begins to loll out of her mouth as she continues to moan, going faster and faster as you feel pressure begin to build in your balls. She looks back toward the room and you hear groaning in the other room, which causes the pressure to alleviate itself as you feel embarrassed. Vikna seems to sense this and pulls you into a kiss, the pressure returning as the pleasure increases steadily. She releases you from her kiss and gives you a look of pure bliss.

“C-cum inside me! Mark me with your seed!” She yells out, the slaps echoing off the walls of the garage as you both continue to fuck relentlessly. “Make me yours and only yours! No other feline, c-canine, or human will ever claim me! I-I'm yours and yours alone! F-fuck a baby into me Jack! Make me a mommy!”

You can't help but oblige, blowing after only a few more seconds of her dirty talking. You feel cum gush out of the tip of your dick, Vikna slamming herself down as she convulses and milks you relentlessly. Every single drop of your man milk is squirted out into her womb as you here a moan come from the room to your left. It didn't bother you right now though as Vikna continued to pull whatever cum she could from you. When it began tapering off, you feel cum leak down onto your crotch as peppermint filled the air. She lays down on top of you, a panting and chuckling mess.

“You made such a mess.” She tells you with a smile. “Now get up and clean yourself up.”

“What?” You ask, still in a daze.

“Wake up sleepy head.” She tells you.

You feel like you're thrown into the living room couch, your pants being pulled down as Vikna licks up a huge mess of cum from your cock.

“What happened?” You ask.

“You fell asleep and got a huge hard on.” She replies. “I sucked your dick for a few seconds and you came really fast.”

“S-so it was just a dream?” You ask.

“Yeah. Was it hot?” She asks. “I really hope I was doing something hot.”

“You were fucking me in the garage.” You reply. “It was kind of unsettling. You're not into cucking people, right?”

“What the fuck? No.” She tells you, her sultry look replaced by one of disgust. “What the hell were you dreaming about?”

“Uh, I need to make a call.” You tell her, pulling your phone over to you as Vikna continues to lick up the mess you made with a bit less enthusiasm than before.

You dial the number for Fluff and the phone rings a few times, eventually picking up.

“Hello?” She asks.

“Hey, did you send Twix over to tell me something?” You ask, already forgetting what he said.

“Uh, if by that you mean he stumbled into a portal and glitched out the system, then yeah. Where is he right now?” She asks.

“Oh shit, I gotta get him out of the garage.” You tell her.

“How did you know he was in the garage?” She asks.

“Dream. I'll call you back later.” You reply, hanging up. “We gotta go dig Twix out of the garage.”

30 minutes later

Twix is sitting on the couch, covered in a blanket with a cup of hot cocoa in his hands as he continues to shiver. Your sister and her boyfriend are watching the whole spectacle unfold as she mooches some hot cocoa from you.

“How long were you stuck in the garage without a heater?” You ask.

“T-two days.” He replies, taking another sip of the hot cocoa. “W-why would y-you care?”

“Because I'm not a huge asshole who actively wants people to die.” You reply. “Are you still mad at that gay joke?”

“Y-yes.” He replies shakily as he grits his teeth. “F-fucking homop-phobe.”

“Well, do you know why Fluff was trying to come through?” You ask.

“T-the war s-started.” He tells you, continuing to shiver as he takes another drink of the cocoa. “R-Rei wanted you to come back a-and advise.”

“I put that life behind me.” You tell him. “I'm done putting myself on the line when I have so much to lose.”

“S-selfish asshole.” He says, setting down the cocoa. “I-I don't even w-want your h-hospitality.”

Vikna makes her way in front of him, pulling his face up to face hers. He smiles at her before she gives him a very hard smack, making his muzzle flick off to the side.

“W-what the fuck?!” He asks. “I th-thought you were on m-my side!”

“You shut the fuck up right now.” She replies. “Just because he doesn't want to do your bidding anymore doesn't make him a bad guy.”

He's about to respond, but she clasps his muzzle shut, shaking her head.

“Say one more thing, I dare you.” She says. “I will lock you back in the garage until Rei decides to pull you back.”

He looks back at you and you shake your head.

“Told you that you wouldn't like her.” You tell him.

He sighs, not saying another word as Vikna lets go of his muzzle, content with shivering in the blanket as Kelly finally goes back downstairs.

4 months later

You've been living with your family for a while now, which was odd to say the least. Your sister was still a pot smoking dope addict while your mother was still a cranky bitch. She had constantly foiled your attempts at making love to Vikna, always calling up whenever you two would start doing it. Didn't matter how quiet you were, your mom would always call you out before you could finish. This left you with blue balls and night emissions that were incredibly messy, but Vikna was kind enough to help clean up. All of this combined with your sisters incredibly annoying stoner boyfriend who made passes at Vikna, to her annoying child that would constantly cry no matter what, saying you were beginning to lose patience would be an understatement.

The warnings you've given her were very clear, do not disturb you or Vikna with stupid bullshit. However, your mother insisted on doing just that, telling you to clean up things you didn't even take out, get her various items from the kitchen, and take care of a child that wasn't yours. As you walk down the stairs with Vikna, your mother waves, making both of you feel awkward.

“I need you to go transfer some money to my boyfriend.” She tells you. “Can you do that for me?”

“Okay. Vikna, you wanna go for a ride?” You ask.

“Sure.” She replies. “I gotta buy some more heat pills anyway.”

You nod and continue walking, picking your Mustang keys off the counter. When you put your coat on, you walk down toward the massive barn-like garage. When you lift it up, you see your suit sitting in the back of the garage, waiting to be used. You'd given up that life though, so you were just a normal dude now. You open the door of the Mustang and unlock the door on the other side, allowing Vikna to enter. When you're both inside, you depress the clutch and start the vehicle. It was the end of April and all of the ice had melted, leaving a small pile of snow where you plowed the snow into a massive pile. The vehicle finally starts with a rumble and you shift into reverse, backing out of the garage.

When you shift into first gear, you pull down the driveway, on the way to do some chores. The massive cobra jet rumbling along as you keep the RPM low. You reach the end of the driveway and go straight ahead, looking off to the side. Vikna was watching you the whole time, looking like she's just happy to be here. However, something wasn't right with her smile. It looked a bit forced, though it was mostly genuine.

“Vikna, are you happy where you are?” You ask, looking back at the road.

“W-what? Of course!” She says. “I'm with the man I love and don't have to do anything except sit around and look pretty. What kind of girl would say no to that?”

“I know a few.” You reply. “What about my mother and sister. Do they annoy you?”

“Well, I'd be lying if I said no. Your sister's boyfriend is a creep. He even knocked on the door asking to bum some money in the middle of the night.” She says, finally relenting. “Your mother is even worse than I was. That in itself is an achievement.”

You chuckle at that before rubbing her hair gently, finding her favorite spot to be rubbed.

“You were always sweet on the inside. I knew it was all just an act.” You tell her. “My mother on the other hand, she's like that all the time now.”

You put a cassette inside the tape player, hitting the play button as you continue down the hilly road, going up and down like you were riding solid waves. Some old music from the 70s, 80s, and 90s starts playing and you smile, hitting the gas and accelerating.

“So, would you like it if we moved somewhere else?” You ask. “I can sell a few of these cars and I'll be able to afford a nice suburban house. How'd you like that?”

She looks back and shakes her head. You turn onto the highway and let the car sing as you roar up to highway speeds, shifting into overdrive to quiet the car down a bit.

“I like living in the woods. It's...peaceful, like I was meant to be there.” She says. “Don't go getting any ideas, I'm not some feral cat, I just like the peace and quiet I get out there.”

You nod, turning to an off ramp and going down the spiral, shifting down as you go around the loop. When you're around the bend, you keep going down the road until you hit a stop light, getting into the left turn lane. The clouds were out in force today, threatening to rain on you while you're in a car that probably isn't the best choice for it.

“I just figured we could get away from the 3 stooges and their child.” You tell her. “Maybe we could move into a different part of the forest. Build a house and live there for a while.”

“Or, you could take back the house that is contractually yours.” She says.

“I don't know about that.” You reply, turning when the light goes green. “They probably don't have anywhere to go.”

“They're living off your money and in your house, I think you should take charge of your house and put them in their place.” She says. “Going out to do bullshit like this is something your mother should be doing, not you.”

You turn into the bank and pull up the the ATM, rolling the window down before inserting the card and retrieving 500 dollars from inside. When it's retrieved, you roll the window back up and pull on the heater vent, allowing it to blow warm air at both you and Vikna. She begins purring a bit as you set the money in your pocket, looking over at the Arby's across the street.

“You hungry?” You ask.

“Yeah, a little.” She says.

“Want something from Arby's?” You ask. “It's like McDonald's, but not as cheap.”

She nods and you turn onto the road, leading up to the fast food restaurant.

“I never got what was with names here. They're so...simple.” She says.

“At least I'm not named after a noodle.” You tell her jokingly.

“At least I'm not named after a plane.” She shoots back.

You both laugh as you pull into the parking lot, the red cowboy hat illuminated in the twilight of the day. You stop the car in a parking space, turning it off and pulling the parking brake.

“If this is your idea of a date, I'm not impressed.” She tells you, opening up the door before pressing down the lock. “Fast food isn't something you treat a lady to.”

“Good thing there aren't any ladies around.” You quip.

“I'll make you pay for that later.” She says with a smirk.

“I'm hoping you do.” You reply, closing and locking your door.

Thunder sounds in the distance and you walk up to the door, holding it open for her. She whips you with her tail as she enters, giggling as you follow her in. The cashiers watch as the only people in the restaurant enter, smiling and standing up straight. You walk up to the counter, already knowing what you want. It's been so long since you've been here, but hopefully it's still as good as you remember. When you make it to the counter, you pull out your wallet and the lady waiting on you looks you up and down, smiling.

“I'll take a number 14 with small everything. What would you like Vikna?” You ask.

“What's that?” She asks pointing to a plain beef sandwich.

“Just a beef sandwich.” You tell her. “You want that?”

“Yes, I'd like that with cheese.” She replies.

“Alright, any drink for you ma'am?” The woman asks.

“Yes, I'd like a small cup.” She replies.

“What, trying to lose weight?” You ask jokingly.

“Stop it.” She says with a giggle. “I'll make you suffer later.”

You smile and pay for the food, bringing it back to a table when it's finished. You begin eating, savoring the taste as Vikna picks it up tentatively.

“This is...greasy.” She says, poking a hole in it with her claw. “I don't know if I should even eat this.”

“Well, try it at least.” You tell her, picking up the strange looking 'curly fries' they sold. “Here, at least try one of these.”

She picks it up and puts it in her mouth, looking to the side and chewing. She smiles, taking the fries away from you with a smirk. You chuckle, continuing to eat your sandwich.

“If yer not gonna eat it, gib it to me.” You tell her, holding out a hand with your mouth somewhat full.

“No, I'll eat it later.” She says, continuing to down the fries. “These are so good! What are they?”

“Potatoes fried in grease and seasoned.” You reply. “Fries.”

“I see. Well, if the sandwich is half as good as these, I'll be happy with it.” She says.

She puts the sandwich to her mouth and takes a large bite, much larger than you could take of one. She smiles wide, purring wildly as her tail swishes back and forth happily. When she swallows it, she keeps eating the burger and downs it in 4 more bites. You chuckle and keep eating after watching her down a burger in less than ten seconds.

1 hour later

You've sent the money overseas and are heading up the driveway, rain pattering off the roof of your car. Vikna is sitting back on the seat as you near the garage attached to the house, parking off to the side. You take out an umbrella in the back and open your door, unfolding the umbrella once you exit the car. After the door is closed, you move toward the passenger side. When you open the door, Vikna steps out and under the umbrella while you close the door behind her, making sure it doesn't cut off her tail in the process. When you enter the garage, you see your mother waiting with her arms crossed.

“What were you two doing for an hour and a half?” She asks.

“I was sending the money and we got something to eat.” You reply, handing her debit card back. “I used my own money, of course.”

“Are you sure?” She asks, looking down at Vikna.

“Yes, I'm sure.” You tell her. “I have money mom.”

“That's not what I mean.” She says. “I don't want you two having a baby, I already have my hands full with one.”

“Wait, why are you taking care of Kelly's kid?” You ask.

“Because she can't take care of it herself. I don't want to have to take care of another baby.” She says.

“Well, Vikna and I have been together for more than 6 months now. We've done it and had no kids resulted from it.” You say.

“Jack!” Vikna says. “You don't go telling people we've done it! Especially your mother! But...yes, we've had sex.”

She looks at you with disbelief, looking down at Vikna and back to you.

“I want you to go.” She tells Vikna.

“What?!” You both ask.

“I want you to leave right now.” She says. “I already put up with too much. Having you two here is sending me over the edge.”

“I'm not leaving.” You tell her. “Neither is Vikna.”

“This is MY HOUSE!” Your mother begins shouting. “You are living under my roof and aren't following my rules. I want you to leave my house RIGHT NOW!”

“Your house?” You ask. “You mean my house?”

“Don't pull that bullshit with me!” She yells. “You STOLE my house from me!”

“I bought it fair and square.” You tell her. “Not to mention I've been paying for it for the past few years. I think I've more than made up for quote unquote, stealing your house.”

“I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU'VE DONE! YOU DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH STRESS I'M UNDER RIGHT NOW!” She screams in your face.

You feel something inside you physically snap as your eye twitching is the only visible sign. You grab her arm and begin pulling her along, hearing muffled screams as you pull her towards the door. When you're in front of it, you open it and drag her in the house, slamming the door closed as it shakes the house. When you enter the kitchen, Kelly is screaming now as her boyfriend stands with his ears folded down. You throw your mother down on the couch and walk over to the TV, pulling out a device you found in the garage. You throw the TV at the door to the front porch, the cheap piece of Chinese garbage shattering while you put the holo-screen down. Your mother attempts to get up, so you turn back to her.

“SIT DOWN!” You scream, pointing at the couch.

She sits back down and your anger subsides, prompting you to turn on the holo-screen. You begin browsing through your memories, playing one that was 8 months ago. It showed you running a bayonet through the back of a monster before firing, Fluff shooting your 45 at the monster to finish it off. You switch to your arms and leg being broken when you destroyed the claws of another so Loki could finish it off. After this, you switch to another one of your leg getting blown off by a sniper.

“You're under stress?” You ask, flipping to another video.

You watch as you clear rooms with men and anthros by your side, shooting anyone who pointed a weapon at you. The time you shot the mind control boxes at the palace in Siania, when you were inside the APC and Vikna was nearly decapitated, and the time you were shot protecting Zofie and Vikna. You lift your shirt up and your mother's eyes go wide in surprise.

“You don't know what stress is.” You tell her, letting your shirt down before stomping past the wreck of the TV and climbing the stairs.

1 month later

It's fucking hot. The air outside feels like a god damn sauna and you only found refuge inside your house. Vikna absolutely hated the heat too, refusing to leave the safety of the house while your mother complained about being cold. You told her to put on a blanket because it's already 76 degrees inside the house. Kelly was busy in the basement taking care of her kid as you had just finished doing what you needed to do. Today was one week before your birthday, but it feels like just yesterday that you celebrated your 28th. So, instead of asking for gifts, you were going on a trip in that new plane that you had yet to fly.

You'd been planning the flight for weeks. It was the same route that all the DC-3s used to fly back in the day, but you can make it if you rigged up some fuel bladders you bought. Turns out your ear piece was compatible with SIM cards, so you were able to call Fluff and have her text you. In fact, you told her you were going to Europe for the week and she said she had a surprise planned for you. When you stop at the airport, the guard smiles and waves you and Vikna through, having recently loosened security restrictions. Not to mention the fact you've been putting extra things on the plane like an RWR and a launch detector. The last thing you needed on the plane was something you were putting on now.

You park by the hangar, getting out of the car after popping the trunk. It was a large micro flare dispenser meant for use on civilian planes that needed to fly through hostile areas. Vikna sees you unload this piece of equipment and cocks her head curiously.

“What's that?” She asks.

“Flare launcher. If we go down, I can fire flares to mark my location to nearby aircraft before hitting the ground or water.” You lie.

It was for something else entirely. If you decided so, you wanted to go visit some old FOBs in Afghanistan. Some of your boys are still deployed and you wanted to check on them.

“You have some really weird emergency practices here.” She tells you.

“You ready to spend a few hours in the air?” You ask.

“I guess so. I hear Paris is nice this time of year.” She says. “Who knows, maybe we'll even stay for a while~.”

You peck her on the cheek and she giggles, leaving you to put the flare dispensers on the plane.

3 days later, Stuttgart Germany

You arrive at the hotel you were staying at, which you heard was a pretty nice place to stay. It was called a Schlosshotel or something. Sort of like a 4 star hotel back in America. Flying all this way in a Cessna was not the greatest idea, as it was noisy and somewhat cramped, especially since you were a lone pilot with one passenger. The only saving grace was an advanced autopilot, which let you legally sleep for up to 3 hours before it'd wake you up. It could even land the plane if there was no pilot able to fly. When you enter the hotel, you see a woman working at the counter, blonde hair and pale skin very apparent.

“Hello.” You say with a smile. “I have a room I booked on the top floor.”

“Ah, the American.” She says. “You have friends waiting in your room when you get to it. Just knock on the door and I'm sure they'll answer.”

“They?” Vikna asks.

You look back at her and shrug, unsure of what's going on. You take the key and make your way to the room, hauling your bag with you as you climb the stairs. When you reach the top, you see Vikna waiting there for you.

“They have an elevator. You know that, right?” She asks.

“It's fine. Feels like I'm carrying 10 pounds right now.” You reply.

When you make it to your room, you knock on the door and hear some mumbling on the other side.

“Mein gott, Wir brauchen keinen Zimmer-” Zofie says before opening the door. “...service.”

“Zofie?” You ask. “Zimmerservice? Is that room service that...well, nevermind. Hey Zofie.”

She pulls you into a hug and you chuckle, rubbing behind her head as you feel her hips move from side to side. Her tail wagged with enthusiasm as you hear more footsteps inside the room.

“Is that Jack out there?” Ayn asks.

“Ja!” She yells back. “He's here!”

She lets you go and Ayn walks out, wearing something...normal?

“Wait, are you actually covered in clothes?” You ask.

“Yeah, I didn't like the look some of these people gave me, so I covered myself.” She replies. “Really rapey people around here. Don't really like them.”

“Are you two the only ones who came through?” You ask. “Not saying I'm unhappy, because I'm really happy you're here. I'm just asking because...well...”

“He's not here.” Ayn replies. “Probably off drinking somewhere. Come on in. We kept the beds warm for you.”

2 hours later

You're all laughing and having a good time, catching up on what's been happening. Katric was providing aid to the Sianians, as well as the Serkonians helping too. Still, none of them had a ton of experience in unconventional warfare. However, they were confident that it wouldn't be long until the war was won against these people. Ayn had managed to save the Tower from an incursion, which led to her also having an encounter with a very upset Nytro. It was along the lines of yours, except much more...sexually charged.

“Speaking of Nytro, what's up with him?” You ask.

“He's been feeling terrible for a few months now. He blames your arrival on the terrorist activities. Blames himself for not putting you on a leash before now.” Ayn replies. “Blames me for letting this happen to my planet. Called me nothing but a slut with muscles.”

“I don't know what's wrong with Nytro. He's not doing very well emotionally. He even snapped at me a couple times when we were talking.” Zofie adds.

“I think the stress of a real war is getting to him.” Vikna says. “Probably just needs to cool off.”

“I think he's right.” You say. “About me at least. I did lots of stupid things that seemed right at the time.”

“Jack-”

“No, don't tell me I was right to do what I did.” You say, interrupting Ayn. “The road to hell is always paved with good intentions. When I die, I'll be surprised if God even gives me a second look, let alone a second chance.”

“If you feel that way, then so be it.” Ayn says. “Kind of burnt out on being kind and courteous after the whole debacle with Nytro.”

“Wait, how recent was that?” You ask.

“It was actually today.” She says.

“Jesus, I'm sorry. Didn't mean for him to get so angry.” You say. “If only he, no, everyone told me I was doing things wrong when I did them. Then nobody would bottle themselves up and explode later.”

“It's not your fault sweetie. Nytro's just a bit lost right now.” She says. “How has life at home been?”

“My mother has been complaining non-stop about us. I can't seem to do anything right by her.” You reply. “Sister turned into a whore who's addicted to weed and methamphetamine. Even got herself knocked up with a kid she can't take care of.”

“Ooh, that's really bad.” She says. “How'd Vikna's birthday go by?”

You feel yourself freeze up, looking back at Vikna as she looks away from you.

“When was your birthday supposed to be?” You ask. “Why didn't you tell me?”

“I didn't want to bother you...” She says.

“Vikna, you are the most important thing to happen to me since I met all of you. Why would you think I'd ever be bothered by something as important as your birthday?” You ask.

“Because you were busy.” She replies.

“Bullshit. I'm fixing this tonight.” You tell her. “All of you out. Ayn, take my card and get a room. I've got something to do.”

Vikna gulps and Ayn gives you a devious smirk.

“I see. Have fun you two~.” She says before getting up and leaving. “Remember to drink plenty of water.”

You nod and Ayn takes Zofie out, leaving you two alone. When she's gone, you turn back to Vikna and her ears fold down.

“Strip, now.” You tell her.

“B-but-”

“Strip!” You yell.

“O-okay.” She replies timidly, taking off her shorts and panties.

Before she can take off any more, you push her down onto the bed, spreading her legs and beginning to relentlessly tongue at her barely moist slit. She lets out a cry of ecstasy and you feel a bit of moisture begin to make it's way down her pussy, coating your tongue in its sweet juices.

“J-Jack!” She yells, trying to stop you before leaning back onto the bed. “D-don't stop...”

You begin playing with her little love button as well, causing her to squeal and letting more juice leak from her insides. You're going to go at it so hard that her heat is going to look like a cakewalk in comparison. 2 days from now may be your day, but tonight was her night. You couldn't take her anywhere fancy, so you were going to rock her world, even if it kills you. Vikna writhes in pleasure as you continue to finger her clit and shove your tongue down her slit, feeling it trying to pull said piece of flesh inside her. She has her hands on your head now, pushing you down and keeping you in place, as if you'd ever leave before she finished.

After you go at it like this for a bit longer, she slams her back down on the bed, her hips rising into the air as she begins to shake violently. Her cries could probably be heard for miles as you slow your pace, allowing her to ride out this orgasm before coming to rest. A few aftershocks cause her to moan, allowing you to keep licking up her juices as she purrs happily. Little did she know, you weren't done yet.

“Oh my god, that was amazing...” She says. “I-I think you made up for missing my birthday.”

“Not yet.” You say, plunging your fingers deep inside her.

She cries out and jumps up, pulling you into an embrace as you pull her off the bed, sitting where she once laid before sitting her on your lap. Your erection was very much visible, but you were saving that for later. When you find the spot you were looking for, her tail wraps around your waist as she begins bucking her hips against your fingers. Damn, you've gotten good at this. She cums in no time at all and you hold her up, periodically pressing against her G-spot while she gasps and squeaks. All that time in bed during her heat let you explore her nethers thoroughly.

“Oh my god, please, more!” She yells. “I need more!”

You turn her back on the bed and lay her down, preparing your fingers for what you hope won't kill her. You put one finger above her clitoris and one inside her cock sleeve before fishing around for her G-spot, causing her to moan. She realizes what you're going to do and nods.

“Y-yes!” She yells with a nod.

You nod and begin rubbing her clit furiously while pressing up against her G-spot, causing her to scream out in pure joy as you finger fuck her into another plane of existence. She cums almost instantaneously, violently shaking as you slow your pace down while she experiences a total of not one, not two, but four aftershocks. Her mouth was open, eyes staring up into space while her tongue hangs loose out the side, completely satisfied with your intense, but exhausting finger bang. When you finish with that, you realize 20 minutes have gone by without you even realizing. She looks down weakly and sees your erection, which causes her tail to move up towards your crotch.

“C-can you stick it in me now?” She asks, opening herself up to you. “Please?”

You nod, pulling your pants down as she takes off the shirt she had on. Her purring is vibrating the bed with how loud it is in anticipation of your dick. You're hard as a rock right now, her intense pleasure having gotten you harder than you thought it would. She scoots herself toward the edge of the bed weakly, wanting to get closer to your cock meat. You slip right inside and she pulls herself up off the bed, grappling onto you with her arms and legs. Even her tail was helping her stay attached as she puts her head on your shoulder, whining and moaning while you grunt with pleasure. She squeezes your dick in all the right ways until you finally start thrusting.

The pleasure of it all makes your legs buckle, but you hold with all your might as you fuck Vikna standing up, even though she felt like a handbag with these new muscles of yours. She squeals and cries in pleasure as you continue having raunchy, hardcore sex, her folds gripping you tight as you pull her up and thrust into her. She grips your dick with her wet snatch before shaking against you, having yet another orgasm before you even have a chance to have yours. It took everything you had to not keep thrusting harder, so as to let her enjoy her orgasm at your expense. She lets herself go, laying back down on the bed as you push her back, allowing you to get on top of her and continue thrusting.

“C-cum inside me please. S-stop holding back.” She says, still high off her orgasm while you grab at her tits. “Y-you're a-ah, making me f-fuck, feel like a b-bitch.”

You nod, picking up the pace and putting your hands on her hips as the hotness of all this begins to catch up with you. It only takes a few more thrusts before you let out a moan of your own, her cunt squeezing you as she too spasms with joy. Every single spurt you let out goes straight into her awaiting womb, causing her tongue to hang out of the side of her mouth again. She moans and coos, rubbing her face against you as she has an aftershock that milks your dick, making you shudder in ecstasy. You lay yourself off to the side, allowing her to milk you further as you both moan from the best sex you've ever had, still hilted inside her.

“Y-you were so good.” She says, panting as she keeps rubbing her cheek against yours. “H-how?”

“I took everything I learned, f-fuck, and appl-ha-ied it here. Jesus your pussy f-fe-fuck-feels so good.” You reply.

She lays her head back down and goes limp, which you smile at and pull out, feeling her heart beat as her snatch twitches a bit. She must've fainted. You feel like you're about to pass out too, so you lay down next to her and begin to drift off to sleep.

6 hours later

You're awoken by a loud thump at the door, followed by yelling and more thumps outside the hallway. You then hear people speaking what sounds like German outside your room. When you look over at Vikna, you see her drooling onto the bed as she snores lightly, out like a light.

“Bleib weg!” You hear outside the door.

You hop out of bed, dressed in only your underwear as you rush over to the door. When you throw it open, you see Zofie, kicking a man away while another brandishes a large knife at her. They both had brown skin, wearing leather vests and thick denim jeans.

“Komm mit uns.” One tells her. “Wir beißen nicht viel.”

“Nein!” She yells.

“HEY!” You yell, getting their attention. “Leave her alone you hadji fucks!”

They turn toward you and smile widely, moving toward you now.

“Ah, American. Your people kill many in my country. I will enjoy kill you.” The one with the knife says in broken English.

“I honestly wouldn't fuck with me if I were you.” You tell him. “I don't wanna kill any of you.”

“You made mistake when coming out of door.” They tell you.

The man with the knife rushes at you and time slows, allowing you to plan according to his stance. You take his arm and wrap your own around it, twirling him onto the floor and slamming your fist into his chest. This knocks the wind out of him and he groans, leaving you to deal with the other hadji. The man pulls out a smaller Swiss army knife and tries to come at you, but you repeat the process and he's on the ground too.

“Don't fuck with a Marine!” You yell. “Either of you get up and I'll fillet you with your knives!”

You hear stomping coming up the stairs and turn toward it to see German police come into the hallway. They raise tasers at you and begin shouting in very angry German. You raise your hands and turn to Zofie.

“Tell them these men tried to rape you so I don't get my ass tased.” You tell her.

“Diese Männer versuchten mich zu vergewaltigen!” She yells, pointing to the men on the ground. “Herr Jackson mich gerettet.”

They nod, walking past you and cuffing the men on the ground. When they do, the Arabs begin shouting profanities before shouting something you recognize, Separationists. When they're brought downstairs, an older looking man steps up and smiles.

“We can speak English, you know.” He says. “We've been cracking down on the remaining 'refugees' as they call themselves.”

“It's not racist to rag on brown people any more?” You ask.

“Nah, France put an end to zhat with its riots.” He replies. “We have been sending them back to where they came, family and all.”

You nod, holding out a hand.

“Jack Haigs, United States Marine Corps.” You tell him.

“Hobert Gorschen, Stuttgart Polizei.” He says, taking your hand and shaking. “You on leave or something?”

“No, just traveling a bit to take my girlfriend on a trip.” You say, helping Zofie up. “Heard your city is really nice.”

“Yes it is.” He says with a smile. “I see your girlfriend is of pure Aryan descent.”

You cock your head before chuckling at him.

“Ah, I am only joking. We Germans can have a laugh too you know.” He says.

“Well, Zofie isn't my girlfriend. My girlfriend is asleep in the other room.” You tell him, pointing to the open door. “She almost was though. She found a boyfriend and Vikna found me.”

“Well, he's not in my life anymore thanks to him trashing my new apartment.” She replies. “But I can see you're happy with Vikna, so I won't intrude.”

“I don't think I need to take a police statement. It's pretty clear who these men are. They'll be sent back without another word.” He says. “I'll leave you two to it.”

He walks back toward the stairs, heading down it as you turn to Zofie. She pulls you into a hug, her tail wagging slowly as you hold her against your body. The door next to you opens up and you see Ayn rubbing her eyes.

“Hey Habibi, what happened out here?” She asks tiredly.

“You slept through Zofie almost getting raped by Muslims.” You reply.

“Sorry, I thought it was you two going at it again.” She says, still rubbing the sleep from her eyes. “Well, I'm going back to sleep. See you later Habibi.”

You nod and let Zofie go, allowing her to enter the hotel room with Ayn. Before the door closes, you hear gunfire outside, full automatic mixed in with pistol fire. This causes Ayn to open the door again, grabbing her staff.

“Stay here!” You yell. “I'm going to help.”

She nods and closes the door, locking it as you make your way into your room. When you look up, Vikna is still asleep, even with all the gunfire going off outside. You take out your BDUs you were planning to use if you got close to Afghanistan, but you threw that idea out the window as soon as Vikna gave you the biggest smile you've ever seen. You weren't going to take that away from her. After your BDUs are on, you put yourself inside your body armor, strapping your helmet on before hearing heavy MG fire outside. When you open the curtains, you see a fucking BRDM. The poor Volkswagen hatchbacks are getting torn up as the police return fire with their handgun caliber weapons.

You make your way toward a dufflebag and turn back to Vikna, seeing her still being asleep.

“I'll be back. I promise.” You tell her.

You don't bother running down the stairs, instead vaulting over and landing with a hard thud. When you rush past the reception area, you can hear the poor girl whining in fear as you barge through the door. The parking lot had police cars inside it, completely torn to shreds by the BRDM-2. As you run forward toward the police, they keep firing their pistols at men on the ground, getting lucky and hitting some with them.

“Heilige Scheiße! Rufen Sie die Bundeswehr an!” The old German officer says.

You set yourself up behind them, spooking a few of the officers until they see who it is.

“Keep up that suppressive fire!” You yell, opening the dufflebag to reveal one of your 3 tubes. “Clear my back blast!”

You pull out the law, uncapping both ends and extending it to full length, the sights popping up as you do. When they're extended, you take aim at the BRDM that can't be more than 100 meters away. You pull back the cocking tab and kneel on the floor, a couple officers standing in shock.

“LEFT! RIGHT! BACK BLAST CLEAR! ROCKET!” You shout, depressing the trigger.

When it's depressed, it feels like the hand of god forms itself into a projectile, flying toward the BRDM before slamming into the side, exploding on the flank of the armored car. When it impacts, the turret on the BRDM pops off, falling to the side of the car as it burns. You pick your massive MG out of the bag as well, loading it quickly before setting it up on top of the roof of one mans squad car. When you're set, you begin laying into people who raise weapons to you, tearing them apart with tracer fire. Some were wearing soft body armor, but your MG didn't care about that. It only kills those it is pointed toward.

A big bastard with a PKM comes out from behind the burning wreck of the BRDM, which was supposed to mean something? You rake fire up his body, eventually getting a head shot before he crumples to the ground. The men in front of you begin screaming something before all running off as you continue to fire on them while they run. You let your gun down, looking around for more before being content with finding nothing. After that, a police officer points their weapon at you, screaming in German that you couldn't. The older man screams at him, making him drop his weapon reluctantly.

“Thank you.” The old man says, making you turn around. “I don't think any of us would've survived if you hadn't come along.”

“Don't mention it.” You say. “Now, I need to ask you to wave off the others in the police department for me. I just want to enjoy the rest of my vacation.”

“I can do that.” He says with a nod. “Don't worry, we'll just say zhat zhey were knocked out by Panzerfausts.”

You chuckle at that and pick up your LAW tube, stuffing it back inside your bag.

“Don't worry about me getting uppity and causing crime. I secure my weapons as I would in my own home.” You tell him. “Have a good day officers.”

You pull the bag over your shoulders and enter the hotel, leaving everyone behind.

Vikna

You're sitting on a lawn chair outside of Jack's house, watching two little children run around while he drinks a beer. They were your children, and you were proud to be their mother. Ayn throws a paper airplane as one of them catches it mid air, having jumped about 2 feet to catch it. Zofie is running around the yard, getting down on the grass as one of your sons plays with her, getting into a small fight before they both laugh and get off the ground.

“Never thought I'd like being a father, but now's different.” He says. “I love it, love my kids to death, and I love you.”

“Same here. It feels...right somehow.” You add. “Like it's what we're meant to do.”

“Mommy! I made you a picture!” Your little boy says, bringing up a paper with crayon on it. “Look!”

He brings up a picture of a slanted 4 wheel vehicle getting blown up, the turret popping off while 2 police cars sit a little bit away. A smoke trail is leading from a green tube on a helmeted mans shoulder, which is very vivid for a kid to be drawing. Everything had smiley faces, even the blown up car and turret had individual smiley faces.

“This is a fridge hanger for sure.” You say. “Good job.”

He giggles and runs off, chasing his brother across the lawn while making airplane noises. You sigh, leaning back into the chair before Jack starts scratching behind your “big kitty ears” as he called them. Afterward, you feel yourself fall back a bit before waking up in a bed, Jack smelling like gunpowder and a smell of smoke in the air. It was strange, but not coming from him. The smell soothed you and you nestle up to him even further. You wanted to dream about that again, continue the story where you left off. Maybe you could...

You get up and walk off to the bathroom, entering before picking up your purse. After you close your purse, you pull the pregnancy test out and stick it up inside you, gasping as it sticks an arm up into your womb. When it pulls back, you look at the result and see it says negative. You shake your head and sigh, wanting just once for that little line to pop up. You hear someone scream outside, which grabs your attention. You rush outside and see Jack hyperventilating on the bed, hunched over with his hands covering his head. As soon as you pull up your panties, you make your way over to him, hearing him inhale sharply as he lays back down. You make your way over to him slowly, hearing him inhale more as he goes into a fetal position.

“I knew she'd l-leave me.” He says, laying back down on the bed. “I should've let the police handle it. I-I knew it was too good to last.”

You look down and see an open dufflebag, filled with guns and an empty tube. How did he get guns through airport security? In fact, what did he do while you were out? You walk over to him and hear him sobbing, cursing himself for making you leave.

“I wasn't good enough for her. I-I-I'm a failure.” He says. “T-too stupid for c-c-college. Terrible s-squad leader, t-too stupid f-for Vi-Vikna.”

“Jack...” You say, feeling tears well up in your own eyes, not understanding how he thinks you'd leave him. “I-I'm still here.”

He turns toward you before his sobbing stops, almost like a switch was flipped. Tears streaked down his face, but other than that, he had completely stopped crying. Before you could react, he's pulled you into a hug, feeling like he was going to crush your spine.

“I-I thought you left me!” He yells. “P-please don't leave me.”

“Y-you're crushing me.” You say, trying to push away from him.

He immediately lets you go.

“S-sorry.” He says. “C-come with me.”

He gets out of bed and walks over to the balcony, opening the door before allowing you out. When you get out, you see the same 4 wheeled vehicle from your dream sitting on the road, turret laying on the ground as it's surrounded by yellow tape and police officers. You look back and see Jack bringing the empty tube with him.

“I killed it with a rocket.” He tells you. “I should've let the police handle it.”

“Handle that?!” You ask. “There's no way a couple pistols and a rifle would handle something like that. You made the right call.”

“B-but I fought on our vacation!” He yells in disbelief.

“You saved people on our vacation. Also, keep your voice down out here. I don't need them looking up here and seeing you with a rocket launcher.” She tells you.

Before you could say more, a knock on your door is heard. Jack walks over to answer it, tossing the tube in the bag before opening the door a bit.

“Hello?” Jack asks.

“We're ordered to escort you to Ramstein Air Base. There's been a problem.” Someone on the other side says.

2 hours later

Jack

You're standing in front of a Brigadier General, at attention in your BDUs while he continues typing on his computer. He then raises an eyebrow, looking back at you with an odd look.

“Says here we had your father on this base more than 40 years ago.” He says. “Guess you couldn't stay away, huh?”

“No, sir.” You reply. “Permission to speak freely?”

“Granted.” He replies.

“Sir, what's going on?” You ask. “I was on vacation and a BRDM came rolling up on my hotel.”

He sighs, looking up at you before getting up.

“CIA tells me you left over a year ago, completely dropped off the grid.” He says, walking out from behind his desk. “Your dad reported you going off to war again, but nobody we called was able to find where you were stationed. Now you come back and take out a BRDM with a stolen LAW.”

“What-”

“AND, you stole a weapon from the Marine corps armory and made an illegal copy of it!” He continues. “You sneak these weapons onboard a plane that isn't even registered, nor has it even been made yet.”

“Sir-”

“Do not interrupt me Staff Sergeant!” He yells. “I should court martial you right now! Have you arrested for your various crimes against our boys in Iran and Afghanistan!”

You sigh, holding your hands out in front of you.

“Sir, I'm offering myself up for court martial.” You tell him.

The General looks you over and chuckles, shaking his head.

“No, you have something I need.” He says. “I need information from you.”

“Sir?” You ask, putting your hands down.

“These people, they've been calling themselves, Separationists. They hate everything related to technology and only use said technology as a means to end it.” He says. “However, that's all we know about them. Some of our new arrivals from last year have told us that there's a man over there, a Marine who goes by the name of Staff Sergeant Haigs. They say he's incredibly aggressive and anybody who tries to kill him dies in the process.”

“Those are just rumors.” You tell him. “Uh, sir.”

“I've seen video footage of you conducting combat operations son. You're good, real good.” He says. “The shit I've seen you pull off successfully is nothing short of breathtaking. Especially that shot you took at that red eyed bitch. Why the hell aren't you a marksman?”

“Bad eyes, sir.” You reply. “Didn't have good LASIC back when I joined.”

“I see. Well, now I need you to spill the beans. Who are these Separationists and who leads them? What are their tactics and how do they operate?” He asks. “We've been seeing aircraft none of our fighters can catch with weaponry that blows them all out of the skies. Had a hell of a time getting Iraq and Afghanistan under control. Even had to use SR-71s armed with AIM-54s to take them out.”

“Why haven't I heard about this?” You ask.

“What do you think the American populace would think of our brand new fighters we've invested billions upon billions into are being dropped like flies due to some space animals with flying saucers?” He asks. “How would that make us look? More importantly, how would that make the populace feel? Knowing we can't keep them safe would scare the absolute shit out of them.”

“I-you're right, sir. I'll tell you what you need to know.” You reply.

4 hours later

“Anyways, I'm pretty sure they're run by some big head honcho Taliban wannabe who thinks he's on some great Jihad or something.” You tell him. “That's all I got, sir.”

“I see.” He says, shaking his head. “I'll pass this up the chain.”

“Sir, I just want to know one thing.” You say.

“Yeah, what is it Sergeant?” He asks.

“What's going on back at the hotel? Is anyone invading?” You ask.

“No, you're clear to enjoy the rest of your vacation.” He replies. “Have a good day and keep your head down from now on.”

“You got it, sir.” You say, saluting. “I'll take my leave.”

He nods and you walk out the door, Vikna waiting patiently.

“D-did you get a section 52?” She asks.

“You mean section eight? No, he just wants me to keep my head down.” You reply, closing the door behind you. “I honestly thought there was going to be an attack, but I guess the world is pretty safe right now.”

She giggles a bit and you both leave the office, escorted by some MP officers to the gate.

7 hours later

You've been walking around Ramstein for a while, listening while Zofie talks to people in her native tongue. It was so sweet to see her so excited to talk with the locals, her having explained that sher-skch-space German was pretty much a dead language. Just like baking and cooking. Ayn, however, feels very threatened here. She says she's never felt so much longing in one place, but it's all...wrong, somehow. She even tried to hide her assets as best she could, covering herself completely and using a sports bra, but it didn't stop people from asking her to come with them.

“Sweetie, could we duck inside that bar really quick?” She asks. “It's the only place that I feel no negative energy coming from.”

“Really?” You ask. “A bar?”

“Y-yes.” She says. “I don't control these things! I just feel them.”

You nod, tapping Zofie on the shoulder, interrupting her conversation.

“We're gonna go get something to drink.” You tell her. “You know how good German beer is.”

She nods, licking her chops as you all walk toward the unassuming building.

“Seven people on us, all of them have been tailing us for a while.” Vikna says, not bothering to look back.

“Yeah, I know. Ayn's trying to get away from them.” You reply. “Just keep walking and pretend you don't notice them.”

The only words that describe it being a bar is the fact it says Holzwurm on a small sign along with some obscure brand of alcohol. You duck inside and everyone follows before revealing a bunch of airmen laughing and joking at the bar. Some older men sit at counters, drinking beer and talking to each other. Some young men are trying to attract women, but the airmen have taken most of the good ones already. You motion for the 3 of them to sit and they do so, allowing you to sit near them as well. An airman notices you and gets up, making his way over to you before the door opens again.

Seven Muslims of varying sizes and shapes enter the bar, looking directly at you and ignoring the airmen entirely.

“You take my girl American? I take your-”

“Hey, buddy, this is an Air Force bar.” The airman says. “We don't like anyone we're not cool with coming in and...ruining the atmosphere.”

“Shut up stupid America, you don't know what we been through.” He says in broken English. “You stupid idiot soldier man.”

“Soldier?” The airman asks. “Hey guys, these dumb rag heads think we're soldiers!”

“Really?” Another asks. “Jesus, he must be blind.”

“We only here for them, not you.” The Arab you figure must be there leader says, pointing to you, then specifically Ayn. “Her in particulate.”

“Well, you came to the wrong place. Get out while you still have your dirty hadji hands attached.” He says. “We'll force feed you pork if you refuse.”

“Take them out.” The man says menacingly.

“Do it outside mein bar!” The bartender yells.

“Clear to engage, you and I will take the biggest guys Ayn, let the airmen handle the rest.” You say, getting up. “You two stay here and don't move.”

You see one of the bigger men heading your way, cracking his knuckles as you rise. More Arabs flood into the bar in a massive wave, at least 10 more coming into the bar as another big guy heads over to Ayn.

“I can show you good time Habibi'ti.” He says.

You grit your teeth and throw a punch at him, knocking him down hard. He groans and the other big guy tries to get on top of you, but Ayn smashes a fist into his face as well. You don't know why you thought they'd be a problem, but the two biggest guys are now down on the ground. When you look back, you see it's an all out brawl. Airmen are losing badly, as the Arabs have more hand to hand combat experience from stealing purses and beating old ladies. Fucking airmen. A few of them were actually tearing through the Arabs, but they soon learned who they needed to target and began rushing the ones with actual CQC experience.

“Let's give our pilot wannabe friends a hand.” You say, making your way over to the brawl.

When you make it over, you pull an Arab back into Ayn's clothes line, getting a satisfied chuckle from her in response. You then pull another back into your awaiting fist, feeling him go limp before he hits the floor. You then feel something poke you in the side and see Ayn holding a knife at bay for you. The man is desperately trying to push forward, but Ayn is simply too strong for him. You grab the knife from his hands and throw it at the dart board, hitting completely off target as the knife skitters to the floor.

“Shit, that would've been cool.” You say, turning back to the man. “Ice this fool.”

She nods and tosses him across the bar, having him hit the wall with such force that he's knocked out. You continue pulling men back into Ayn's fists and knocking them out yourself as the airmen who have been wrecking shit continue to do just that. You have no doubt that some of these men may die, but this doesn't bother you like it normally would've. They instigated and you were happy to punch the ticket of any poor bastard who thought getting up was a good idea.

You then feel a sharp pain across your jaw, your head whipping around as you stumble back a bit. When you get your bearings back, you see a very frightened looking man with brass knuckles on.

“You better leave before I kill you.” You tell him, feeling anger begin to boil up. “GO ON, GIT!”

He scampers away before your anger can boil over, which prompts the rest of them to leave as well. The bar clears out of the remaining sand people, leaving only injured people from both parties remaining. You look back at the uninjured airmen, nodding before walking up to the bar. You take out your wallet and begin counting out euros before setting 100 of the bastards down on the counter.

“4 mugs of beer and another round for the toughest airmen I've ever seen.” You say, the bartender getting up from behind the bar.

“Y-you got it.” The man says, taking the euros and filling 24 mugs.

He spreads them out along the bar and you smile back at the airmen, holding the mug up in the air.

“A quick thank you for saving our asses.” You say. “Let's hear it for the airmen!”

The entire bar erupts into cheers as some of the men carry out the unconscious and injured assholes. The airmen pick up the drinks you've set out for them and bring the 4 mugs back to the table your friends had sit down at. You pass the beer around and Zofie takes it, immediately chugging it back as Ayn takes it a bit easy. Zofie slams the mug down and you take a sip, watching as Vikna swirls the liquid around her mug.

“Zis is the best shit!” Zofie yells.

Ayn laughs at this, but you're more concerned with Vikna.

“Hey, what's wrong?” You ask.

“I...I've been having dreams.” She says. “About us.”

You set the beer down and look back down at her.

“Like what?” You ask.

“Us and, well, uh...” She says, trailing off. “How do you feel about...kids?”

You feel your heart skip a beat, the world seeming to stop around you as Zofie stops drinking her beer.

“W-what?” You ask, thinking you heard wrong.

“I-I wanted to know your th-thoughts on, uh, ch-children.” She says.

“I, uh, think we should go Zofie.” Ayn says, taking Zofie along with her.

You're about to reach out, not wanting them to leave you alone on this, but Ayn was already gone, Zofie having not spilled any beer. You look back and chuckle nervously.

“W-well, I...uh...” You say, the question being so up front.

“You're right, I shouldn't have said anything...” Vikna says, looking dejected.

“N-no! Just give me a second.” You tell her. “I'm just a bit surprised you've been having those dreams too is all.”

Her ears perk up and she smiles wide, tail flicking from side to side excitedly.

“So you're okay with it?!” She asks excitedly.

“Well, yeah, but not right now...” You say. “I wanna get married first. I want us to figure out if kids would be good on an emotional level, since money isn't really an object right now.”

“What do you mean?” She asks.

“Having kids can be very stressful.” You tell her. “I don't know if I have the characteristics to be a father. I-I'm impatient, stressed out all the time, easy to anger, hell I don't even know what to do with a kid.”

“Well, we can figure that out along the way, right?” She asks. “I'm not above begging you.”

“No, please don't beg.” You reply. “I'm waiting until marriage, and marriage is going to wait until this stupid war is over.”

“W-why?!” Vikna asks.

“Because I'm not letting my kids grow up without a father!” You yell back, calming yourself down before continuing. “I refuse to have kids until I'm absolutely sure I'm not going to get pulled into a conflict.”

“Y-you said you wouldn't fight anymore.” She says, putting a hand on yours. “Y-you said...”

“I said I wouldn't fight unless I needed to. If I'm needed to end this war quicker so I can be with you, I will do that.” You tell her. “However, I won't just throw my life away. I'll fight tooth and nail to come out alive for your sake. Now come on, drink a bit. It'll make you feel better.”

The next day

You wake up in the middle of...wait, this isn't your hotel room. What the hell is this place? When you get up, you see a window identical to the ones you saw in the apartments at...

“Oh god don't tell me...” You say, looking around at the futuristic metal room. “Shit, I need to get out of here.”

When you try and get up, you feel your dick move against something really really soft and warm. You're instantly rock hard, looking down to see you're balls deep inside Vikna. She begins moving, purring lightly as she blinks away the sleep from her eyes. When she looks up at you, she gives you a smile and moves herself up.

“Happy birthday big guy~.” She says in a sultry voice.

“Please tell me you didn't trick me into impregnating you.” You tell her. “I'm not ready to be a dad yet.”

“Hmm? No.” She says. “It was just a bit of fun.”

The night slowly starts coming back to you. The kiss, the karaoke, the portal straight to Viknas room. Holy shit that sex blew your fucking mind. She used some kind of juice and you couldn't stop cumming. Just thinking about it made you...wait, you're already hard.

“Don't worry, we drank enough water to flush the alcohol out of our systems.” She says. “Wanna go natural for your birthday?”

“N-no, we need to leave before Nytro knows I'm here.” You say before she begins moving. “F-fuck, maybe one more time for the r-road.”

She grins, going up and down a couple of times before you begin bucking on your own. Vikna moans, squeezing down on her own, as you've learned to tell which of her contractions are voluntary and involuntary. These were definitely voluntary. She smiles, leaning back as you get on your knees, fucking her relentlessly before blowing, nearly falling on top of her as she pulls you into an embrace. Her fur was matted in some places and wet in others, but she was still as soft as ever. As she squeezes the last of your baby batter out of your cock, you pull out, looking down to see her smiling gently at you.

“You didn't finish did you?” You ask.

“Nope, I'm just happy you felt that good inside me.” She says, rubbing against your face with her cheeks. “That wasn't even ten seconds.”

“We should probably clean up. Does your shower work?” You ask.

“Yeah, why?” She asks, a confused look adorning her face.

“Uh, nothing.” You say. “Let's get clean.”

2 hours later

You've been searching high and low for your ear piece, which you still couldn't find an hour after getting out of the shower. It wasn't in your ear when you got in and you're starting to worry. When Vikna comes out of her room, she has a bottle of pills in both hands, clearly marked with different colors.

“I had to get my heat and fertility medication.” She says. “In case you change your mind.”

You nod, looking under the sticky couch for your ear piece.

“Hey, do you have your phone?” You ask.

“Yeah, sure.” She replies, putting her hands in her pockets. “Uh, hang on, let me find it.”

She looks around frantically before walking over to an odd looking box on the wall.

“God, I hope this old piece of garbage still works.” She says, pressing a button.

The machine boots up and plays a little tune, which seems to fill Vikna with relief.

“This machine is older than all of our friends combined. Been here since the place was built.” She says. “I've never used it before and I don't think whoever took my phone thought it still worked. You want to call Rei, right?”

“Yeah.” You reply.

“Call Tower director.” Vikna says.

“Alright, calling Tower director, Rei.” The box replies back before Rei answers. “An unlisted? Who's calling?”

“It's Vikna. Our phones must've been stolen last night and Jack is getting antsy about Nytro.” She says. “Can't really blame him though, last time we spoke Nytro was ready to kill him.”

“Ah, I see. Well, I can get you a portal out of there and up to my quarters, but that's about all I can do. The portal network has to recharge if it's going to make a dimensional hop again. Don't worry, he won't find you up here.” He tells her. “Portal is opening now.”

A portal opens in the middle of the living room as the door begins unlocking, which causes you to pull Vikna along, Fluff closing the call. When you both get through the portal, you grab Fluff's arm piece and close the portal off, which causes him to yank it away from you.

“Don't touch my stuff.” He says.

“Sorry. Someone was coming through the door and I didn't really have anything to defend myself with.” You say.

“Don't do it again. If you screw with this, you could break it and be stuck here for the rest of your life.” He says. “Took me almost a year to perfect portals.”

You nod before the door opens, revealing ARA walking up with frizzled hair.

“The calculations took, as you like to say, forever, but I think I have found a way to shorten the recharge time on the portal device when traveling from dimension B to dimension A.” She says, before looking up from her tablet to you both. “Miss Vikna? Mister Jackson?”

You wave to her and Vikna runs over to ARA, pulling her into a hug.

“I've missed you!” Vikna says.

“Y-yes, I have missed you too.” She says, awkwardly returning the hug. “I, um, have very important instructions to deliver to mister Rei. It will allow you both to return in a timely manner instead of being stuck here for a few days.”

“Oh, right.” She says, letting ARA go. “I'm just so happy to see you is all. It's been almost a year for me.”

“It's been six months, but close enough.” You correct.

ARA smiles and walks up to Rei, the same innocent smile on her face as she gives him the tablet.

“I see. Good job ARA. Now I can input them into the device and you'll both be out of here in 3 days.” He says. “In the mean time, I'll see if I can get Nytro out of the Tower.”

He makes a few calls and ARA stays in the same position, awaiting a command. Her tail flicks idly as she notices you watching, waving her hand while smiling. You look around and see a few floating chairs alongside a couch, a plush looking bed sitting on the other side of the room while the entire roof is made of some kind of glass substitute. You make your way over to the floating chairs, bringing them over by Fluff's desk sitting down and offering the other two seats to the girls. They both sit and he looks back at all 3 of you sitting, smiling that weird beak smile before going back to talking on the phone.

“This all he does all day?” You ask ARA.

“Pretty much. If he's not drawing or working on portals, he's talking to other people who draw or work around the Tower.” She says, sitting in a thinking pose before she seems to have an idea. “Oh! Did you bring that suit with you?!”

“No, I don't think the plane I was flying on would've liked half a ton flying along.” You reply. “It's from the storage area.”

“Oh...” ARA says, disappointed like a child being told they couldn't have ice cream. “Well, that's fine.”

You all sit around for a while before you begin humming to a song that keeps coming back to you. A song that's so absurd it never leaves your mind. Vikna and ARA both take notice and you try your hardest to remember the words, but you're at a loss. It's just so absurd...

“Losing my religion.” Fluff says. “It's a really tricky song to remember.”

You look over and see him smiling, handing you a tablet. When you take it, you feel a shock in your hand and all the words come back to you. The words...they're so sad, but they fit so well.

“Don't act like you can't do it. Sing for us.” He says with a smile.

“I-I think I should get something to drink-”

“No, I heard you singing over the Network. Ayn speaks very highly of your ability to sing.” He says. “I wanna hear you sing something that isn't soaked in an Irish accent. I think that's adequate.”

You sigh, opening up the tablet and creating a hard light guitar. You strum it a couple times and it performs how you'd expect a guitar to perform. You begin strumming on it, the notes present in your mind as you begin strumming along, using your foot as a drum.

“That's me in the corner.” You begin singing.  
“That's me in the spot...light, losin' my religion.  
Trying to keep...up with you  
And I don't know if I can do it  
Oh no, I've said too much...  
I haven't said enough.”

You feel yourself begin to smile as you continue, looking off at the two girls.

“I thought that I heard you laughing...  
I thought that I heard you sing...” You continue.  
“I think I thought I saw you try...  
Every whisper,  
Of every waking hour  
I'm...choosing my confessions  
Trying to keep an eye on you,  
Like a hurt, lost, and blinded fool...fool  
Oh no I've said too much...  
I've said enough.”

You begin chuckling a bit between the verse.

“Consider this, the hint of the century...  
Consider this...the slip...  
That brought me to my knees, failed,  
What if all these fantasies come, flailing around...  
Now I've said...too much.” You continue singing.  
“I thought that I heard you laughing...  
I thought that I heard you sing...  
I think, I thought, I saw you try.”

You continue to strum on the guitar, laughing a bit as Vikna and Fluff smile back at you.

“But that was just a dream...  
That was just a dream.” You say, getting out of the seat with the guitar in hand.  
“That's me in the corner.  
That's me in the spot...light,  
Losing my religion  
Trying to keep, up, with you,  
And I don't know if I can do it...”

You begin shuffling back and forth on your feet, synchronizing them to make it look like you were sliding along the floor.

“Oh no, I've said too much...  
I haven't said enough.” You say, beginning to bounce up and down a bit every few notes as you smile toward the group.  
“I thought that I heard you laughing  
I thought I heard you sing...  
I think I thought I saw you try...  
But that was just a dream  
Try, cry, why, try  
That was just a dream,  
Just a dream,  
Just a dream, dream...”

You continue winding yourself down as you've been dancing around the room on your feet and look back, Vikna looking at you with a smile on her face.

“That was really good.” She says.

“Yeah, that was pretty good.” Fluff says.

“I have no real opinion of my own, but I've heard singers who flow much better than mister Jackson. No offense.” She says.

“Everyone's a critic.” You say with a smile. “My low range could use a little work, but I don't think I have the range to go any lower than I can already go.”

“Yeah, your voice was great, but please don't go dancing again. I think my eyes got a paper cut watching you scuttle across the floor.” Vikna adds.

“Was that bad, huh?” You ask.

“Yeah, leave the dancing to miss princess Ayn.” ARA replies.

“Uh, I don't think she does that kind of dancing.” Vikna says.

“No, she's not just a stripper!” Fluff says kind of defensively. “She can do casual dancing too.”

“Maybe you should show instead of telling.” You say, like a mother chastising her child.

“Okay dad.” He replies. “Maybe I'll ask her to do some dancing some time. Also, happy birthday, uh, again. Never gonna get used to this whole time moving at different rates thing.”

“Thanks. Good thing I didn't ask for anything.” You say. “Hasn't been long enough and I'd feel like shit.”

You hand fluff back the tablet pen and it ceases being a guitar as you sit down. When you do, you hear banging on the door, which is much louder than a normal knock.

“Rei, open up!” A voice on the other side shouts. “I'll force it open if I have to.”

“Nytro, I told you to go back home! We don't need you harassing our people any more!” Fluff yells before looking at you. “Hide under the bed. He's gonna kill all of us if he finds you two in here, now go!”

You nod, taking Vikna with you as you slide under his bed. You pull both of your feet underneath just as the door opens, revealing a staggering Nytro coming through the door.

“Where are they?” He asks.

“Where are who?” Fluff asks back.

“Don't fuck with me you feathered fuck, tell me where that prick and his little blue bitch are.” He says.

“Wait, is that Jack Daniels?” He asks. “Where the hell did you find that?!”

“Took it from that fucking mental defective.” He says. “Tastes like shit, but I'm buzzed.”

“You're a law enforcer! You're supposed to follow the law, not break it!” He yells.

“Is that what you made me to be? Huh god? You made me to be some sort of goody two shoes?” He asks. “Fuck you man. You're a fucking creepy fuck wit who draws creepy pictures of all of us.”

“Nytro, you're not allowed in here!” ARA yells. “Get out before I call security!”

“I AM security Red.” He yells back. “Shut your god damn mouth machine.”

“Excuse me?!” ARA asks angrily. “I am not some dumb robot that repeats a task endlessly! I am an advanced military android-”

“I SAID SHUT UP!” He shouts the sound of glass breaking and a sword being drawn filling the room. “YOU STUPID FUCKING MACHINE! I'LL TEAR YOU APART!”

“Do it tough guy!” ARA spits back. “I'll pump you full of so many amps and volts you'll fucking explode!”

“Stop it!” Fluff yells. “Both of you!”

“Shut up bird brain!” Nytro yells. “I'm not gonna leave until I find that stupid bastard and tear his head off! He promised he'd never show his face around here, and he fucking broke his promise!”

“You stole their god damn phones!” Fluff yells back. “You were planning to kill them!”

“I was going to rough him up and send him on his way. That's it!” He yells. “But now I AM going to kill him. He's a hollow piece of shit. All his promises fall through and he never delivers on anything.”

“Just shut up and leave.” He says. “ARA, if he doesn't leave in 5 seconds, call security.”

“Fine, but you just wait until he stabs you two in the back.” He says. “Just wait until you have to clean up after him.”

The door closes and you crawl out from under the bed as Fluff walks to the door, manually locking the door with a bar.

“ARA, do your work from the terminal in here. I don't trust him not to hurt-er...damage you.” He says, pulling her close to him. “Let's get you working on something to calm you down.”

You look on the floor to see your bottle of Jack broken with a bit of alcohol on the floor.

“Damn shame.” You say under your breath.

When you walk back to the chair, you sit down and keep humming to yourself. This was going to be a long 3 days.

2 hours later

You were eating some less than appetizing food from a printer, sighing as you look up into space.

“How's Catao and Loki doing?” You ask. “Haven't seen them in forever.”

“Loki is helping rebuild some parts of Siania that were destroyed in rioting while Catao is continuing to unfuck everything she fucked up all that time ago.” He says, using surprisingly colorful language.

“I think my language might be rubbing off on you.” You tell him. “Should probably stop swearing in front of the kids.”

“Very funny.” He says. “Come here, I have something to give you.”

You walk over and see he has that gun that Nytro gave you sitting in his lap. He hands it over to you along with a holster, which you run over your belt. It clips into place and you holster the handgun, looking back at Fluff who gives you a couple magazines. You set them in the pouches on the holster before looking back at him.

“You wanted to go out and have fun, right?” He asks. “Keep that on you. If anyone bothers you, and I mean anyone, don't hesitate.”

“Dude, I'm not going to kill Nytro.” You say. “But I will beat him within an inch of his life if he tries to hurt Vikna.”

“T-that's not what I meant.” He says, looking off to the side.

“Don't bullshit me man.” You say. “I know he's being an asshole, but he'll come around. Everyone does eventually.”

He nods and opens a portal, which leads to the middle of a sparsely lined street. He then hands you a card and smiles.

“Go wild. I don't want you to spend all day cooped up in here.” He says.

You nod, taking the card and smile.

“Wait, I need to know when Viknas birthday is.” You tell him. “For future reference.”

“Ah, it's around April 21st.” He replies. “I forgot what day it is here, but I think it's day 213 or something.”

“Thanks. I'll have to remember that.” You say, turning to Vikna. “Let's go have a good time.”

“Are we going out drinking again?” She asks with a smile.

“Maybe.” You reply. “We'll see just how drunk I get.”

“Alright you two, go before I get any more creeped out.” Fluff says, shooing you both through the portal.

You both walk through and the portal closes behind you, leaving you alone on the streets with Vikna looking down at her clothes.

“I am not dressed for this.” She says. “Where are we?”

You look back and see the Tower right behind you. She turns and sees this too, leading to her blushing.

“Oh...” She says.

“Let's go shopping.” You say. “I need to buy some robes anyway. They're really comfy.”

3 hours later

You're talking about recent happenings, laughing both worryingly and genuinely. Only having one guy on your ass is a hell of a relief when you've had 3 people on it for the past 6 months. You had managed to buy a phone, so you could call Fluff if need be, as did Vikna. He told you he'd have your old phones ready, but you said you got a newer model. When you look over to Vikna, you see her looking over at a doorway with people coming in and out.

“Hey, it's the old bar that I used to go to after work.” She says. “I thought they closed.”

“You wanna go inside?” You ask.

“Sure.” She replies.

You both walk across the street, watching for traffic before doing so. When you're across the road, a man comes out, completely hammered and being escorted by two ladies. When you enter, you hear a sports broadcast playing as well as some shitty bar music being played at the other end. There are floating tables, floating chairs, a rather normal looking bar with some blue lighting accents, and bottles with glowing blue caps and spouts. When you take a seat at the bar, a woman comes walking up to you, not from behind the bar, but behind you. She puts a hand on your shoulder and you get a better look at her, she was a poodle of some kind.

“Hey there big guy, wanna-”

“Fuck off bar slut.” Vikna snaps. “He doesn't want anything you're selling.”

She growls a bit before backing off, allowing you to focus back on the bar tender. He walks up to you and gives you a smile before turning to Vikna. His smile turns into more of a smug smirk.

“Back for more?” He asks her. “Last time I saw you, there were two guys attached to your arms.”

“M-Mel!” She yells. “I'm a bit more anchored now than I was 3 years ago.”

“I'm just fuckin' with ya. What can I get you two?” He asks.

“I'll take a pint of beer.” You tell him. “You serve those here, or do they float too?”

“Ah, you're that human from the Tower.” He says. “We serve them in mugs that do and don't float.”

“I'll take a regular mug, thanks.” You say.

“I already know what you want.” He says, looking at Vikna, taking a bottle from the shelf. “Been saving it for you.”

“Thanks Mel.” She says, smiling gently.

He slides a mug full of the liquid you requested down the bar and you catch it, spilling a bit of the liquid on the counter. You clean the spill up with a napkin and 3 shots float down the counter toward Vikna. She grabs one and the others stop, allowing her to drink the mystery liquid that you assume is vodka. She takes it in her hand and you smile, downing a bit of your mug as she takes a shot of the alcohol.

“I'm stopping after another bottle of this. No more sex I can't remember.” You tell her.

“Fuck that, I'm getting wasted.” Vikna tells you with a chuckle.

“Guess I'll have to hold on that bottle.” You say, looking around the bar.

2 hours later

Vikna has now completely lost herself. She drank an entire 10 shots of that stuff and her mind is completely fucked. Her hands had water dripping from them. Not because she spilled water, but because she's been using her magic to put ice in peoples drink. You asked her if she was tired, but she said everything was fine. A permanent blush was now affixed to her face as her entire body felt very warm to the touch. It was kind of cute to see her like this. She was nuzzling you and purring the entire time you were near her, watching when you had to go for the bathroom. When you came back, her gaze hadn't moved as she looked very excited for you to be back out of the bathroom.

As you walk back, a tiger comes up behind her clad in muscles and arms as large as a tree trunk. He begins rubbing her shoulder, which she begins to lean back into. That is until her alcohol rattled brain realizes you're still coming and your arms can't reach that far. She then pulls away from it, which surprises the tiger. He tries to reengage in the shoulder rubs, but Vikna turns around, freezing him from the hips down. She then gets up shakily and stumbles to another seat while the tiger stands stunned at how violently he just got rejected. When you approach Vikna, she smiles before falling out of the floating bar seat, laughing when she hits the ground.

“I think you've had enough to drink.” You say, taking the rest of the vodka and setting the credit chip on the counter.

“Yay, more drinks!” Vikna says in a slur, grabbing the drink from you and downing it.

The bar tender grabs the card and runs it over something, giving it back to you afterward.

“Nice doing business with you again Vikna.” He says.

“Thank.” Is all Vikna says as you get her up from the seat, walking toward the door.

As you walk past the frozen tiger, people start shouting at both of you, causing you to pick Vikna up and run out of the bar.

“HEY!” They scream behind you. “GET BACK HERE ASSHOLE!”

You push yourself forward as Vikna holds on, purring loudly as you run past all of the crowd as Vikna laughs. Meanwhile, you look back and see a tiger and mountain lion chasing after you, barely keeping them at bay as you continue to run down the street. When you look back again, you see they've gained a lot of ground, still visibly gaining it as you're pushed to your limit. You have to get creative. Think outside the box.

“YOU CAN'T RUN FOREVER ASSHOLE!” They yell.

He's obviously very exhausted as he talks and this gives you an idea. You just need to tire him out.

“Catch me if you can!” You yell, running into traffic.

Before you know it, a car is speeding towards you, trying to stop but being unable. Time slows itself down and you jump on top of it, holding Vikna tight as you bounce off the roof of the car. When you hit the ground on the other side of the street, time returns to normal and you see you've bought yourself some time. The tiger has already broken off by now, panting on the other side of the street. However, the mountain lion was still going, not intent on losing his prey.

“Keep pushing!” You yell to yourself, pumping your legs even faster as he closes in.

A street crossing was nearing and you still haven't tested how far you can jump without the suit. Now wasn't the best time, but you had to try. Hopefully you could kangaroo yourself across the gap. When you're on top of the edge of the sidewalk, you get on knees, the momentum almost carrying you into the ground before you push yourself off the ground, flying into the air. You look back and see the mountain lion stopping in front of the cars, panting heavily before you turn back, landing with a heavy clunk.

You look down and see Vikna had passed out by now, which you thought would come with something else. Apparently she has the godlike ability to hold her alcohol. You keep running through the street before putting her across your shoulder, grabbing your phone and opening it up. You call Fluff and he answers after about 3 rings.

“Hello.” He says. “What's up Jack?”

“Portal!” You yell. “Now!”

“Tracking your location.” He says. “Opening now.”

A portal opens about 20 feet in front of you and you fly through it, tripping and falling as you hold Vikna securely on your stomach. You slide across the floor on your back before hitting your head on something, stopping your movement. When you look up, you see Fluff standing above you with a worried look on his face.

“What happened?” He asks.

“A tiger and lion.” You say. “They were trying to take Vikna.”

“Jesus, how far did you run?” He asks.

“I don't know. Jumped over a street though.” You reply. “Don't know if I could do it again without motivation.”

“What happened to Vikna?” He asks.

You look down and see her still in your arms. When you get up, you walk her over to Fluff's bed and lay her down, letting her rest on his bed. When you stand back up and turn around, you sigh.

“The tiger and lion tried to win Vikna over, but she froze the tiger to the ground. Guess they didn't like that and chased us along the street.” You reply.

“Is she okay?” He asks.

“She just passed out.” You reply. “She had 11 shots of what I can only assume is paint thinner.”

He chuckles at that and walks over to her, looking her over before sniffing the air. He reels back and gags, covering his beaks as his wings flap away from Vikna.

“Her breath is gonna get my drunk!” He yells. “Jesus, how did you not faint from carrying her?”

“I used to drink almost every day Fluff.” You reply . “The smell of alcohol doesn't bother me.”

“I can't tell whether I should be thankful or worried.” He says, uncovering his beak. “I'm actually really glad you're here. The emperor has been on me, saying he wants to see you tomorrow. He wants to talk about Siania.”

“What?” You ask.

“Don't worry, you'll be able to go back and get whatever you need. The portal recharge will only take 2 hours after it closes instead of 6 days thanks to ARA.” He says. “I can't keep delaying this time. He says you're vital to this war effort and humans in general are necessary.”

“Fluff...I can't-”

Before you can say any more, he opens up a portal and you see a box of stuff fly through, landing down at your feet.

“I packed your shit for you and it's all in a box. I've stuck my neck out for you plenty of times and I expect you to do the same.” He says, no longer using his normal voice and being a bit more forceful.

“I...fine.” You say, not wanting to deal with the weird twink who has...issues. “When is this meeting going to be?”

“In about 2 hours.” Fluff replies.

“WHAT?!” You shout. “What the fuck dude?! I haven't even showered today and you're dumping this on me now?!”

“You better hurry. I'll be bringing some important things back in case you need them. He's more than likely going to bring you back in.” Fluff replies.

You sigh, growling a bit as you do before opening the box. It had your dress uniform in it as well as medals and miniature medals that were pinned onto the uniform. You completely forgot about the little things, but decide to wear them anyway. Well, off to the showers.

2 hours later

You put your sword back in its sheath and stand by the door, awaiting Radoslav's arrival. Thankfully, you didn't have to wait long. You give him a salute and he returns a Katrician salute, looking very tired and beat down. Not that you cared, but he looked very overworked. He stops everyone else and gives you a weary and defeated sigh.

“Jack, I'm not going to be formal with you. Get that shit off you and get in here. I just want to talk.” He says, startling you with how casual he was. “I'm too tired to put on an act.”

You nod, taking off your belt and dress coat before entering the room with him. When you step inside, Radoslav slides into a random seat and you sit across from him, seeing what you can only call bags under his eyes.

“Do you need a drink or something, sir?” You ask.

“I already have enough caffeine running through me to kill a small child.” He replies. “I need to ask you something.”

“What's that, sir?” You ask.

“Don't call me sir. Call me Radoslav.” He says, annoyed with the fact you keep calling him sir. “How do you deal with the stress of an enemy that can't be completely taken down?”

“That's not my department man.” You reply. “That's usually reserved for people of a higher pay grade.”

“Do you still have one of those things you stick in your mouth and smoke?” He asks. “I hear they relieve stress.”

“Are you sure? They're very addictive and give you cancer.” You say.

“Cancer is a trivial illness. I'll be fine.” He says.

You offer him a cigar from the inside of your dress coat and he takes it, sticking it in his mouth. You then offer him a light, flicking open the Zippo and lighting the cigar for him. He takes a deep drag before breaking into a coughing fit, setting the brown mouth cancer down on the counter.

“This is definitely not what I needed.” He says. “At least I'm a bit more awake now.”

“It's not for everyone.” You say, taking the still burning Cigar from the table and wipe it down, sticking it in your mouth. “I'd offer you some whiskey, but Nytro smashed my only bottle.”

“I'm not in the mood to talk about him. Let's move on to the subject matter at hand. I have been commanding this increasingly incoherent theater for the better part of 2 months. Nobody has ever handled a ground invasion this big in thousands of years and they're dumping it on me. Someone who hasn't even reached 30 and barely inherited the throne 8 years ago.” He explains. “I can manage to hold an entire section of the galaxy together, but I can't even manage to invade a planet without killing the entire population.”

“What have you been doing exactly? I might be able to give you some very broad pointers.” You tell him.

“Ground invasion with armor that's been getting taken out left and right by tanks that are much more ancient than our own. The armor just isn't designed to handle kinetic weaponry of that mass.” He says. “Our troops get killed by civilians who pick up guns the enemy has dropped and our air keeps getting knocked out of the sky.”

“Sorry, I don't have a solution for that.” You tell him, actually feeling sorry for the guy now. “However, I may have some people who know how to do exactly what you're asking.”

As he's about to respond, you hear some vibrating before a ringtone is heard. He sets something on top of the table and a projection comes up, compressed explosions being heard as a man begins talking.

“M-my emperor, please! We need your guidance.” A young kangaroo anthro says as explosions go off beside him. “We don't know what to do! We're pinned down behind a hill and they're trying to destroy our tanks! They have really big tanks and they're killings ours before we can get a shot off on their turret!”

Before Radoslav is able to reply, you get right on it.

“Give me a general shape of this tank, kid.” You tell him. “Through your binoculars, does it have a really low profile and a V shape on the front hull?”

“I-it has a V shape on the front hull and it looks like a bulb on top and to the side of the gun!” He yells after a bit.

“You're dealing with a Soviet T series tank. Give me a visual on it.” You say calmly.

The camera feed is staring down the barrel of either a T-72 or a T-64. Either way, it's a formidable foe to any armor that isn't up for it.

“Alright, you see the lower glacis on that tank? Direct your fire at that lower section of the armor and the ammo will pop the turret like a cork, understand soldier?” You ask.

“Y-yes, sir. Who am I speaking to?” He asks in return.

“Staff Sergeant Haigs.” You reply.

“The human?!” He asks. “Are you coming to fight with us?”

“No, I'm here purely to provide information for you to fight with.” You reply.

“Alright, I just relayed it to our remaining tanks, they're firing now!” He yells over the sound of gunfire.

The camera feed then switches back to the T-64/T-72 and a shot flies to the target, blowing a hole in the bottom of the tank as the turret explodes off the top of it. Multiple others are taken down in the same way, the turrets being blown up a bit or completely popping off.

“Now get on your tanks and motor vehicles, get some guys to flank around as your main force charges with an armored spearhead. You take that town with as much aggression as you can muster and then some. Don't let up or falter, even if a few men die you can pick them up later. Do not stop, that is the most important thing. Do not lose momentum or the attack will not work.” You explain. “Tell me you understand this.”

“I understand.” He says. “I will tell my men to do this.”

“Good, now keep up the work.” You tell him. “Kill some mother fuckers.”

The transmission cuts off and you sit back in your seat, Radoslav taking his holographic projector back and laying his head down on the table.

“I appreciate the help.” He says groggily. “Call my guards in. I don't think I can walk back to the ship.”

“I'll do that.” You say, getting up from the chair.

“Also, if you tell anyone about this, I'll have you snuffed.” He says lazily. “Now go, I think it's time for me to fall asleep.”

10 minutes later

You're walking up toward Fluff's room, meeting various people that you haven't seen in almost a year. Your uniform was kind of a mess, but right now you didn't really care. You just wanted to see Vikna again. When you reach the front desk, you see the secretary typing on a computer, seeing you come in the front door. She smiles and presses a button, opening the door to Fluff's combination room and office. The door opens to reveal Fluff hard at work on some paperwork while Vikna was still laying down on the bed. You fix your uniform up a bit before entering the room, looking off to your right to see someone who you didn't expect to see. Your old Captain, sitting in regular Katrician clothes. You stand at attention, giving him a salute.

“Staff Sergeant Haigs reporting, sir!” You yell, scaring the shit out of him.

“Jesus Christ Jack, give it a rest. Not even in uniform.” He says, seeing you're not giving it a rest. “As you were, smart ass.”

“Sir-”

“Call me Richard you fat fuck.” He says, sitting back in the chair. “How long have you been here?”

“Now or before?” You ask in return.

“Both.” He replies. “I just now got here after commanding a ground force for about 4 months. Only a week ago did I hear what was going on here and hear about your exploits.”

“I was here for about 3 or 4 months before going back. Came back to, well, uh, that's not important.” You say, embarrassed to say you came back and got drugged into a night of raunchy sex with your girlfriend. “What's important is that you're here.”

“Well, it's comforting to know that yet another person needs me.” He says.

“Hey, don't pull that shit with me Dick. I've been out here pulling my weight too.” You say, beginning to take off your belt and dress coat. “You want a smoke? I got some foreign cigars from another planet.”

“Sure thing kid.” He says as you pull out a stogie.

“They taste like Trinidad cigars, but aren't a hundred bucks a case. At least, I don't think. I used a sex princesses debit card to buy them.” You say, bringing one over to him.

“Hey, you guys can go smoke and catch up out in the lobby. It has the ventilation for it.” Fluff tells you both.

“You got it, boss.” You tell him sarcastically. “Let's go Dick.”

He nods, cigar in his mouth as he gets up and walks out with you. When you're both outside, you sit down on a chair with him beside you as light up his cigar for him.

“Not gonna smoke?” He asks.

“I don't smoke for pleasure.” You reply. “So what the hell have you been doing?”

“Clearing an entire fucking continent with tanks that have paper for armor, ships that won't shoot buildings, and infantry too pussy to fight anything.” He says. “In other words, it's just another day in paradise.”

“Anthros I served alongside had balls of steel. Heart breakers and life takers, every one of them.” You say. “Except for that one girl, she was a bitch.”

“Heard you took over a battle cruiser and sang some stupid shit. That right?” He asks.

“Yeah, that's right.” You reply. “Mostly unmanned, had the AI take care of just about everything. Hell, they probably don't know that I only know what to do because of video games. All of my prior flight experience has come from DCS and flying civilian aircraft. Not to say I didn't read that book they told me to read, because I totally did, but most of it comes from playing ship games.”

“Lucky bastard. I was stuck babysitting a bunch of furry ANA clones. Got a call from the director of this place and was teleported from the other side of the globe when he heard about me. Had no fucking clue you were even here until a week ago when people started talking about you over the news.” He explains. “I thought I'd see you here, ya furry freak. I knew you liked these animals ever since I saw that chat log on the internet back at camp Leatherneck.”

“Even managed to bag myself a girl.” You say with a smile. “That blue one sleeping in there is my girlfriend.”

“She's very pretty, I'll give you that. Just remove all the fur and get rid of her animal features and I'd be tempted to steal her from you with my...astoundingly good looks.” He says.

“I don't think you could handle her Dick. She's got a short fuse.” You reply.

“Yeah, you're right. Hey, I need to ask you something a bit personal.” He says. “Did you see any camps out there?”

“Camps?” You ask. “What camps?”

His face goes blank, like he was asleep with his eyes open. It made your spine freeze solid as the cigar nearly drops from his mouth. A long drag was taken, his lungs filling with smoke before he breathes it all away from you.

“There were...camps.” He says, looking back at you with a dead look. “Like concentration camps. They had things all over the place that were designed to torment and torture. They made weapons, clothing, armor, bullets, and androids.”

“Androids?” You ask.

“They were making robots to fight us with.” He replies. “They're all over the place right now, We've got most of them with EMPs and the like, but some of them escape-”

Before he could finish, Fluff runs out of the room, taking Vikna with him as the door is slammed shut, emergency blast doors closing.

“He's in there!” Fluff yells. “He was just waiting! Jesus, he's way faster than I remember!”

You hear clanging on the door before seeing through the blast window, the door is giving.

“What the fuck?!” Fluff asks.

“Armor, now.” You say, getting up and taking Vikna in your arms.

“W-what?” He asks.

“PORTAL TO MY GARAGE NOW!” You shout.

He nods, tapping the buttons on the gauntlet a few times before a portal opens up.

“Can't you take him on without it?!” He asks.

“No, I can't.” You reply. “Not with any confidence.”

He nods and you walk through the portal, setting Vikna down on the platform as you begin stripping. When you strip, you hit the emergency fit button and it opens the armor up for you. You step inside the body suit, an arm closing it up for you as you step into the boots. It begins violently attaching the armor pieces to you, Fluff watching from the other side of the portal as you grunt and cry out in pain. It hurt like a mother fucker, but it was certainly putting everything on at a much quicker pace.

You're let go after a bit more of this, walking over to the pod and typing in a few numbers. You grab a bullpup rifle with a grenade launcher underneath, grabbing a bandoleer full of grenades that you think are EMPs. When you load the bullpup, you make your way toward the portal, seeing the blast door is already starting to cave. The portal closes and you take aim at the door, your captain looking at you in awe. You point back at the door and keep the rifle trained on the door.

The blast door finally breaks, allowing “Nytro” to break through, ripping the door open as he takes off his contacts. They reveal glowing green eyes instead of his yellow cat eye and blue dog eye. You begin firing, the rifle filling the room with automatic fire as the bullets continue pinging off the skull, leaving nothing more than dents in his armored cranium. He lunges at you and you slam the butt of the rifle into his snout almost instantly, causing him to veer off course toward the front of the receptionists desk. You rush the now downed anthroid, getting on top of him as he struggles violently.

You slam your fist down into his core area, beating it over and over again as he pushes against you violently. Your massive hulking form is too much for him, even if he was an anthroid. When your fist finally reaches the core, you shove the grenade launcher inside of the opening and pull the trigger.

BLOOP

The sound of electrical discharge is exceptionally loud, leading to the anthroid falling limp, the core dimming as your shields completely dissipate from the blast. You push yourself off the ground and your shields begin recharging before you hear more footsteps coming from inside the room. 3 more Nytro bots exit the room, wielding swords that seemed to glow. They were trying to back you into a corner.

You take aim with the rifle, pointing it toward the three. By now the secretary had already left, the door behind you locked and sealed before you had an idea. Maybe they're not like ARA. Considering how easy it was for you to pick your way through the first anthroids abdomen, maybe the other three are just the same. The HUD links up with the gun and the crosshair is put on the stomach of one when you pull the trigger. The high rate of fire on the bullpup peppers the Nytro clone, ripping out pieces of the core on the other side until flames begin erupting from within, the flames increasing in pressure and length as time goes on. You set the rifle on your back and slam your fist into the floor, locking your armor and putting every single available watt of power into your shields, overlapping them 3 times as they become visible.

“My c-co-core...” Is all the false Nytro says before your shields are nearly evaporated.

Your grip on the broken floor holds as flame envelopes the suit, a sliver of shields remaining to take the heat. They break with an almost deafening pop as the heat subsides, power returning to the entirety of your suit before you unlock the armor. As you look up, you see a massive hole in the side of the room, leading out into the open vacuum of space. The reception area and half of the lobby has been completely destroyed, warning lights spinning and flashing without a peep being heard.

“Jack! Jack!” Fluff yells into the radio. “What happened?! Are you okay?!”

“Sorry about your reception area.” You reply. “I think half of it is a hole now.”

“What about you, are you okay?” He asks.

“I tripled my shield output and locked my armor. I'm fine.” You reply. “I think I blew up the core on one of the things.”

“Wait, did you just say there's a hole in the station?!” He asks.

“Yeah, not much I can do about that.” You reply. “Get Ayn, Zofie, and Vikna back. I'm gonna check for-”

Before you can finish what you're saying, you feel yourself violently pushed toward the edge, careening downward for a bit before you feel gravity stop pulling. When you turn around, you see something you were really hoping not to see. It was another Nytro bot. He has a sword with him that appears to be glowing, almost pulsating with energy as he makes his way toward you. When you pull out your gun and try to pull the trigger, it goes click, prompting you to cycle it and try again. No dice. The ammo counter was going crazy as well, indicating there was some foul play involved. You didn't know what to do.

As the hybrid gets closer, you feel a shock in your left arm, then your right. A prompt comes up on your HUD, urging you to download an AI packet. You confirm and the familiar face of ARA appears in the top right hand corner of your helmet.

“I thought I would find you out here.” She says with a smirk. “It appears to be another Nytro anthroid. Very low quality internals that wouldn't pass even a preliminary check by Kaltag.”

“Any idea how I should handle it?” You ask.

“Just a hunch, but I think your maneuvering jets have enough Delta V to maneuver back to the station while the Nytro anthroid is destroyed.” She replies. “The director has brought back our friends from your world anyway. It looks like miss Vikna is still asleep.”

“Alright, engaging thrusters.” You say, feeling them pop out of your back.

You orient yourself facing sideways and engage the thruster, the jet of gas pulling you toward the side as the Nytro anthroid continues to fall toward where you were. He bares his teeth menacingly, but you continue to float lazily off to the side, watching as he floats away from you. When you're separated enough, you thrust back up to what used to be the waiting room. A shield made of light begins assembling itself on the half blown out space elevator. You make your way back to the blown out waiting room as the hard light shield fully assembles, dropping down on the platform with a loud thud. Wait, a loud thud? That means there's air pressure already. You look over and see the door open, Fluff coming through the door along with ARA and Dick.

“What the fuck are you Haigs?” He asks. “What are you wearing?”

“Have you ever played Halo?” You ask.

“No, do I look like I play video games?” He asks.

“It's an exoskeleton.” You reply. “A really powerful exoskeleton. Literally one of a kind.”

“Jesus, what the hell did you do?!” Fluff asks, looking at the hard light shield covering the half of the reception office that got blown apart.

“I think I destroyed their core.” You reply.

“This definitely looks like a core detonation.” ARA says, walking over to the shielded area. “If I had to guess, which I need to do in order to cover for any inconsistency, I would say the core was about a third depleted. Your shields held up very well to such a violent explosion.”

“What about all of you? Was anyone hurt by the shock wave?” You ask.

“No, walls are completely shock proofed.” Fluff replies. “I hope nothing in my room is broken.”

“Where's Vikna and the rest of the girls?” You ask.

“I brought them back as soon as you said to. Your sister's boyfriend was taking care of her.” He replies. “All of them came through.”

Just as he says that, your brother in law and Kelly both come through the door, looking up at you with curiosity. Kelly moves in closer, walking forward with her hand out. She touches your dented breast plate, knocking it a few times with her hand. It sounds like plate metal.

“So this is the thing none of us could open?” She asks.

“If you stepped inside this, it would crush your bones into a million pieces.” You reply. “Also, don't fuck with my stuff when I'm not there.”

“You're not my boss.” She says. “Besides, this stuff isn't yours.”

“You're right, but I was told to use it. You tried to steal it.” You tell her.

“How do you know-wait...” She says, looking out toward the hard light barrier. “Are we in...space?”

“Yeah, we are.” You say, realizing this must be a big deal to her, like it was a big deal to you. “I'm going to go check on Vikna. You stay here and gawk. Don't smoke up here either. The ventilation is terrible in here.”

You make your way outside, seeing Vikna stirring from her nap as she rubs her head.

“I feel like I've been dropped out of a bus.” She says, looking up at you. “When did you get that?”

“Nytro anthroids.” You reply. “I blew one up...and...took half the reception room with it.”

She groans, laying back on the floor.

“I leave you for less than a day and you've already blown something up. Was Rei hurt?” She asks.

“No, he's fine.” You reply.

“You finally decide to let us come back?” Zofie asks.

You look up and see Zofie with her arms crossed, obviously not happy with you.

“We waited for more than a week.” Ayn says.

“I'm sorry. I got caught up in, well, you know, this.” You say, pointing to the room. “Blew up half a room.”

“Well, you could've at least tried.” Ayn says.

“My bakery is the only source of income I have. If that's not open, I'm actively losing money and I'm not able to keep doing what I love. That being said, the hotel had a really nice kitchen.” Zofie says. “Wait, no! I'm supposed to be mad at you!”

“You don't have to be mad.” You tell her. “I understand if you are, but nobody is forcing you to be mad at me.”

“We're both a bit upset that you forgot about us.” Ayn says. “I mean, the Airmen were all very hospitable, but we both wanted to leave after a little while.”

“I literally couldn't do anything. The portal needed a few days to recharge.” You say. “ARA worked out a new algorithm for it, so now it'll only take a few hours to charge after being used for half an hour.”

“So the usage time is shorter, but the time needed to charge them is decreased?” Zofie asks, having dropped her crossed arms by now.

“Correct.” ARA says behind you. “I believe I can explain it from here mister Jackson. Go and talk with your sister.”

You nod, helping Vikna off the floor as she holds her head in her arms.

“I need some hangover medications.” Vikna says before coming into the reception area. “Holy shit! What the hell did you do?!”

“I destroyed 3 anthroids.” You tell her. “One exploded and the other two followed.”

“I can tell.” She replies. “Rei, do you have any hangover meds?”

“Yeah, let me go get some.” He replies, leaving Kelly's side.

“So this is where you ran off to?” She asks.

“I was asked to help and I came.” You reply.

“You just left the house to be robbed.” She says.

“Just like you and mom left me to fend for myself when I was dealing with depression and PTSD.” You tell her. “Don't pull that guilt trip bullshit with me.”

“You wouldn't stop bitching all the time!” She yells back.

“And you wouldn't sit down and listen!” You yell to her.

“Because you did it all the time!” She yells.

“You called me a baby killer!” You yell.

“Because you killed babies!” She yells back.

“Why are you even here?! Why can't you just leave me alone? Why can't you three just stay where you belong?!” You ask angrily. “Can't you just let me be happy?”

“I could if you weren't so irresponsible!” Kelly yells back.

“Just go back already!” Vikna yells. “We don't need you yelling at him when he has things to do!”

“What, does he actually work now?” Kelly asks.

“Yes, he's been working for a while now, actually.” Vikna replies. “He's been looking after the space elevator. Making sure nobody comes in or out.”

You nod, not completely sure if she was bluffing or if she actually thinks that. Kelly huffs and leaves, prompting Ayn and Zofie to come in. Ayn looks more impressed than anything while Zofie is in shock.

“An anthroid did all of this?” Ayn asks.

“3 anthroids did all of this.” ARA corrects. “My previous assessment was incorrect, as I'm not an explosives analyst. If I had to guess again-”

“ARA, please do not guess again.” VST says, turning your attention to her.

She immediately blushes as all the attention is turned to her, not able to look you in the visor.

“What's your estimate VST?” You ask.

“I-it's around 52 mega-joules of explosive energy, most of that was lost in heat energy, since c-cores are built to dissipate energy in an e-explosion rather than c-contain it.” She says, still very much a shy AI. “Your s-suit has surprisingly good shields.”

“VST, there's no need to be shy.” Fluff says. “Everyone in here knows you.”

“I know, it's my programming acting up again.” She says, smacking her head a bit. “I think I need to see a technician.”

“Then go. We have the situation well in hand.” He tells her. “Go on and get fixed up.”

“I'll do that.” She says, walking out of the room.

“So, what now?” You ask.

“You can start by doing more than giving us an empty apology.” Zofie says, crossing her arms again.

“What do you want me to do?” You ask.

“We want you to come with us back to Serko.” Ayn replies. “You're going to help me out with some political duties. After that, you're going to help Zofie in her bakery.”

“Uh, excuse me?” Vikna asks. “You're not taking him off to have sex with him.”

“You can come along too if you promise to behave.” Ayn teases. “Besides, I wouldn't dream of taking him off to my room without your consent.”

“What?” You ask. “I'm sorry, but I'm monogamous.”

She chuckles a bit and waves you along.

“Come on. I'm sure Rei here can put that armor stand over in the palace for you. We're going to be taking a personal shuttle.” Ayn says. “It's a bit bigger than you're used to though.”

You nod, looking back at Fluff. He's now shooing you away while telling ARA to come to him, prompting you and Vikna to leave the room.


	13. Chapter 12: Fixing mistakes

You arrive in very short order, Ayn's shuttle apparently having one of the most advanced FTL drives available inside of it. She equated this to having a sports car versus having a commuter. It takes about 1 hour to travel a distance that took 24 in Viknas shuttle. You've been resting in the armor for a while now, standing with the armor partially locked upright. It was actually pretty comfortable, as it supported most of your weight with the suit. Vikna was worried about this between her mean mugging Ayn and reading something on her holographic tablet. You eased her fear by moving around a bit before taking off your helmet. After you all land, you put your helmet back on and walk up to the cockpit, Ayn stepping out with a smile on her face.

“You said you'd wear something nice the last time you were here.” She teases.

The door opens and her mother is standing there with an excited look on her face.

“You're back!” She says with a smile. “I was so worried about you sweetheart.”

“Mom...” Ayn says, looking off to the side with her ears folding a bit. “Not in front of my friends...”

“Oh, don't be such a baby. You're never too old for mama's love.” She says with a smirk. “Who's the anthroid with you?”

“It's me, ma'am.” You tell her, taking off the helmet. “Sorry I couldn't wear anything nicer.”

“Oh my gods, you're here!” She yells, walking up the steps. “Give me a hug!”

You see her wrap her arms around your torso, squeezing you before you give her as gentle a hug as you can. You still haven't mastered a hug in this suit. Apparently you don't crush her, as you let her go when she does the same. When you look back to the palace entrance, you see Sabir walk up with a smile on his face.

“My beautiful daughter returns!” He says before looking at you. “With company as well!”

“Hey Sabir.” You say, Kesis allowing Ayn and you through. “Did you get the package the director sent?”

“Yeah, it looks like a platform with a bunch of arms on it, but I can see what it's used for now.” He replies. “Probably to get that stuff off your body.”

“Oh, come on now. If you're a friend of my baby, there's no need to bow.” Kesis says behind you.

“Mom!” Ayn says, turning around and looking past you. “You're embarrassing me!”

Sabir, Kesis, and Vikna chuckle, Ayn sighing and walking forward with her tail down low. You put your helmet on to contain your smile before continuing along.

“You can be embarrassed?” Vikna adds with a giggle. “That's a first.”

“You'll be next if you keep it up.” You tell her. “Minty fresh.”

“HEY!” Vikna shouts. “S-she deserves it. Especially after teasing me so-”

You turn around and grab Vikna, a surprised “EEP!” following close behind as you lift her into a bridal carry. She blushes deeply, looking over at Ayn, who's giggling at her expense. You can hear a d'aw come from Kesis while Sabir nods, giving you a knowing smile.

“Aw, fuck it.” Vikna says, putting her arms around your neck and rubbing against the hard metal of your helmet. “Just this once.”

“I guess that answers one of my questions. I never thought it would be Vikna though.” She says, prompting you to turn around.

“Me neither.” You say, letting Vikna down. “She's really sweet when you get to know her.”

“H-hey...” She says.

“Let's get you all inside. Just because the area around us is clear doesn't mean we're not at risk. Come, we have much to do.” She says.

30 minutes later

You finally get out of the suit, stepping out of the body suit and into some clothes Fluff had sent along. When you tighten the belt on your blues, you begin singing and clicking your heels together as you do a little dance over to the door. When it opens up, you step out into the blue accented halls, seeing Vikna standing there with a smile. You stop immediately, clearing your throat and returning to a more neutral expression.

“Were you just singing sweetie?” Ayn asks behind you, resting her muzzle on your shoulder.

“U-uh, yes.” You tell her nervously, your collar suddenly becoming too tight as you try to pull against the buttons. “I was, I guess.”

“Do you mind finishing that in the auditorium?” She asks, muzzle slowly retreating as she speaks. “It was finished a few weeks ago.”

“I don't really think I can.” You reply. “It's a really complex song that I don't even remember the words to it.”

“Well, that's fine.” She says. “Can you sing something you can remember?”

“Uh, sure.” You reply. “Do you have an acoustic guitar?”

“I think we have one in the auditorium.” She says. “I'll gather mother and father. I've been hyping you up for a while now.”

You look back at her with an unsure expression.

“I've never performed in front of a crowd.” You tell her. “Are you sure about this?”

“It's not a crowd. It's just a few friends.” She tells you. “Go on, you can do it.”

You nod, putting your cap on and saluting. She gives one back and you're off, leaving them behind to prepare.

Fluff

You're helping ARA out with a social problem, glad that you can interact directly with your characters now. It was a pain in the rear to try and guide them back when you found out this place was not only real, but you were very much integral to its operation.

“Yeah, don't go hanging around dudes like that ARA. It's bad for your social learning. You'll learn bad habits.” You tell her.

“They said they wanted to teach me how to act around 'assholes' as they put it.” She says.

“Yeah, don't listen to a word they say.” You say. “They're delinquents.”

“R-Rei!” A woman yells running up to you. “I found him!”

“Who are-” You say before looking up to see Catao. “Oh, who did you find?”

“I found Nytro!” She yells. “He's being held captive in the Sianian countryside.”

“Did you make contact?” You ask.

“He said he's really sorry. He thought you ordered him to be captured and interrogated.” She replies. “I told him you wouldn't do anything like that. Am I correct or not?”

“You are.” You reply. “I think the teleporter can take a small hit. I'm going to Serko for a bit. Maybe Jack will help if he knows Nytro is there.”

You type in a few coordinates and open a portal up, setting the length for 2 minutes before waving ARA goodbye, seeing a stage with someone sitting on a floating stool. You make your way through, closing the portal behind you as the lights dim, hearing guitar music coming from the front of the auditorium, noticing that Jack was playing. When you look over the seating rows, you see about 50 people sitting in the seats watching him play, singing away.

“Nothin' lasts forever, but the earth and sky.” He sings, apparently in the middle of a song. “It slips...a-away, and all your money, won't another minute buy. Dust in the wind...all we are is dust in the wind...dust in the wind...everything is dust in the wind...the wi-ind.”

He continues strumming along for a bit, looking down at a levitating podium with a hologram on it. He looks back at the guitar and stops strumming, letting the chords ride out for a bit before sighing. People begin clapping and it nearly throws him off the chair, his face now visibly red from embarrassment.

“I-I didn't know how many were here.” He says into the microphone. “I...uh...”

He begins stammering and takes the guitar off, walking off the stage as he sets it down, obviously spooked by everyone in the crowd. He must really not like crowds. Guess this is one of the reasons he never wants to sing in front of people. You see Ayn get up, rushing up to the stage and hopping over, running into the back after him. The clapping stops shortly after that, replaced by confused murmurs.

“Alright everyone, you may go back to doing your daily tasks around the palace. We will be in the throne room if you need us.” Kesis says, considerably more peppy than she was before. “I hope you enjoyed this little distraction.”

While people are leaving, you manage to see Vikna hop on the stage as well, walking back as you too push through the crowd. When you make it to the stage, you hop up and make your way into the back, where you hear the distinct sounds of hyperventilation in the back. When you turn a corner, you see Vikna sitting next to Jack as he holds his head, breathing very rapidly into a paper bag. Jesus, this guy can shoot someone no problem but crowds give him a panic attack? What the hell is he?

“I-I think I j-just fucked up.” He says between his hyperactive breaths. “I-I just f-fucked up in front of t-the queen...”

“Hey, it's fine.” Vikna says, putting a hand on his knee as his breathing begins to slow. “You did really well.”

“Yeah, you did good.” Ayn adds, trying their best to comfort him. “I didn't know you hated crowds so much. I wouldn't have invited so many if I had known.”

Vikna looks up at Ayn and then at you, cocking her head.

“What're you doing here?” She asks you.

Ayn turns around and Jack looks up, pulling the bag away from his mouth as he looks up at you.

“Is now a bad time to ask a favor?” You ask, expecting a yes.

“Yes.” Ayn and Vikna both say in sync.

You nod, turning around to see the Captain standing on the stage, looking around curiously. He looks toward you and walks forward, stopping in front of you.

“I saw a portal and walked through it. Where am I?” He asks.

“You're on Serko.” You reply.

“Dick?” Jack asks, calling out to him and causing him to look behind you lazily before giving up. “Is that you?”

“Yeah, I'm just talking to your friend.” He replies, looking back at you. “Serko? Is that another country?”

“It's another planet.” You reply.

“Fucking figures...” He says, rolling his eyes. “Well, what's going on in here?”

“Jack was just performing in front of a crowd.” You reply.

“Really? He hates crowds.” Richard says.

“I know.” You say, lowering your voice. “He kind of had a small incident.”

“Alright, let me through.” He says, not waiting and pushing you away by your wings.

You turn back and see him walk up to Jack, who is standing up by now. He salutes Richard and the man salutes him back. That's when you realize he's in a uniform similar to Jack's “BDUs”.

“What the hell are you doing in those blues?” He asks.

“This Marine is a political envoy, sir.” He replies. “He wishes to look his best in front of the king and queen of this country.”

“Well, Marine, I overheard one of your friends is stuck on a planet called Siania. I think his name was Nitrous or something.” He says.

“Nytro, sir?” Jack asks.

“Yeah, Nytro.” He replies. “If you don't feel confident, I'll come with you on this mission.”

“Sir, you'd do that for me?” He asks.

“Yes, I would.” Richard replies. “Get into your cammies, Marine. No man left behind. Dismissed.”

“Yes, sir!” Jack yells, giving a salute before rigidly walking out of the room, Ayn and Vikna at a loss.

When Jack leaves the stage and in turn the auditorium, Richard makes his way up to you with a look of disapproval.

“You got your Marine.” He says. “He's a good kid. Don't take advantage of his kindness and devotion to you or I'll make you regret the day you tempted him with these talking animals.”

You nod and he continues onward, hopping off the stage and walking out of the auditorium.

2 days later

Jack

You're sitting in a suit of medium combat armor, not wanting to risk being seen in the Mjolnir knockoff. Too many questions would be raised and there's already enough trouble trying to keep it under wraps in the Tower. You look over at Vikna and see her looking at the floor, worry spread across her face. You smile and put 2 fingers under her chin, raising her head to face you. She returns the smile and you give her a kiss on the nose, causing her to giggle a bit.

“Don't worry about me.” You tell her. “We'll get Nytro and get out.”

As you say that, you feel the spacecraft begin shaking, the PA kicking on.

“Taking enemy ground fire. Looks like Zeus's and Shilkas.” Dick says. “Shit!”

The craft throws you and Vikna out of your seats, throwing you into a wall and her to the floor.

“Helmets on!” She yells. “We're going in hard!”

“Pilot's fucking hit!” Dick yells into the PA. “Autopilot is failing! Get your asses up here!”

You get off the floor and put your helmet on, seeing the massive bulb at the front that's designed for canines to fit their muzzles inside. You help Vikna off the floor, rushing toward the front of the shuttle as you see holes peppering the shuttles interior. When you reach the front of the cockpit, you see the shuttle begin pitching downward accompanied by whooping.

“Terrain! Terrain! Pull up! Pull up!” The instrument cluster begins bitching with a few more whoops. “Terrain! Terrain!”

You see the dead jackal sitting in the seat, his stomach nearly torn open as Dick tries desperately to figure out how to fly. You grab the stick and disable the failing auto pilot, pulling back on the stick before figuring out it's dead.

“Fuck! DEAD STICK!” You yell, tossing the dead jackal from his seat. “Do these fucking buckets have manual reversion?!”

“I think this shuttle is old enough to still have it!” Vikna yells back over the incessant warnings. “I found the lever!”

She looks down and tries to pull up the lever before growling, forcing it upward with ice magic. The stick centers itself as you try to pull it back by yourself, failing even with your augmented muscles.

“DICK! PULL BACK ON THAT STICK!” You scream, beginning to panic as the ground gets closer. “PULL BACK AS HARD AS YOU CAN!”

He nods, pulling back on the stick before it begins budging. The engine RPM keeps increasing as you desperately try to pull out of the dive. The pitch is shifting, but you're not going to make it if you can't pull back any further.

“Vikna! Help me pull!” You yell back at her.

She puts her hands over the stick and helps pull with you, giving you just enough force to pull the stick back to the seat. The G-force pressing down on you is increasing, the artificial gravity having failed, causing Vikna to begin slipping off the controls. You move your elbow under hers, holding her up as she continues to keep pulling, the three of you leveling out the bird before you feel a massive jolt. The spacecraft just bounced off the sand, pulling back into the air as a bit of the granules get up into the cockpit, sticking to the blood of the jackal. You push the stick back, Vikna no longer pushing against your elbows and Dick taking his hands off the controls. Your airspeed is decreasing as more shots begin pinging off the bottom of the shuttle.

“Is everyone okay?!” You ask.

“I'm still green!” Dick replies.

“I'm good!” Vikna yells.

“Good, we need to set it down near that town over there! Vikna, buckle yourself in tight, I don't think the hydraulics have enough pressure to lower the gear.” You say, trying your luck and hearing nothing, not even the gear locks disengaging.

You begin pulling back on the power, the engines going vertical, which means you aren't going to have to exactly belly land it in the normal sense. A glitched out display pops up in front of you, showing you some metrics as to how high you were in the curious measurement of yards. You've never seen someone report how high they are in yards before. You feel the glass shatter in front of you before the soft particles impact your face, a large blast shield replacing it as you keep yourself steady. The yards tick down before you hear warning chimes, indicating an engine failure. You quickly power down the diagonal engine, losing a considerable amount of power as you fall at an increased rate.

“Holy shit!” Dick yells. “Are we gonna crash after that shit?!”

“Not while I'm flying!” You yell back, 20 yards remaining before touchdown. “In any case, brace!”

When you're 2 yards above the ground, you slam the throttles to the firewall, sand blasting away in every direction as the craft slows enough to land without breaking bones. When you slam down, you pull all the throttles down to cutoff and hear the dropship cut off, turning the master power off and getting out of the seat.

“Don't lose momentum!” He tells you. “We need to get our asses out of here!”

You nod and take off down the hallway, grabbing your gear you prepared earlier before opening the emergency door. A hiss comes from the door as the hydraulics let off whatever pressure the isolated system had left, falling to the sand as more fire erupted in the distance. The dropships coming in bore the mark of the Empire, as more fire continued to shower the considerably more armored dropships with massive rounds. This was like Fallujah all over again. When you look back, you can see your Captain felt the same way, looking back at you with the same look he got every time he saw a Zeus. A look of remembrance.

4 hours later

Nytro

You're laying down in a cell, bound and gagged by your captors as they stand guard outside. You've been forced to confess secrets that you didn't even know the answer to, facing beatings regardless and punctures if you refused. These people were savages, but that was their job. Not to mention they had...unusual means of torture at their disposal. They managed to get your full name out of you by forcing you to have sex for hours and hours, even going after that to satisfy their own cravings. You liked it at first, but soon learned that having stamina like yours is both a blessing and a curse. You fear that you may be impotent now with how much your groin hurts. The door opens to your cell and the human who has been commanding the felines comes in, baton in hand.

“Get up!” He yells. “Get up now filthy dog!”

You get up, fearing more retaliation if you refused. He grabs you by your ear and rips you forward from the cell, causing you to fall. You tried escaping before, but they caught you with augmented anthros before you even got past the first corner. There was no way out but to hope they let you go after you tell them something they want to hear. He rips off the gag and slaps you on the back of the head.

“Why are we being attacked?!” He asks. “Answer me now!”

“I-I don't know.” You reply, hearing an explosion in the distance.

“LIAR!” He shouts, hitting you in the back of the head so hard your vision goes fuzzy and you fall to the floor. “How did you contact the outside world?!”

“I didn-” You attempt to say before yelping in pain, as he kicks you.

“DO NOT PLAY GAMES WITH ME ARK!” He shouts angrily. “I was trained by the CIA dogs. I know when someone is lying to me.”

“I-I couldn't contact anyone if I tried.” You say, telling him a half truth. “I'm not a psychic.”

“Then how did they know where to find us?” He asks.

“They always know.” You lie. “We have eyes everywhere. Even among you.”

As you say that, he kicks you again, screaming in frustration as you whine in pain. You would prefer death at this point. Please, let the next blow break your spine.

“Just let me die...” You say under your breath, all the pain coming to the surface. “Let me die please. I can't take the pain any more...”

You hear 3 shots ring out as you close your eyes, feeling yourself get picked up.

“STAY BACK OR I SHOOT!” Your captor screams at someone ahead. “DO NOT TEST-”

Before he can finish, you hear the distinct sound of ice freezing and an extremely cold sensation mere inches away from your face. You hear him scream in agony, keeping you close before he falls over with you in his hands. You hear a sickening crack and slide over him, hearing him scream further as you open your eyes. His legs look bent at an unnatural angle and are...frozen in ice. You hear 3 shots come from a distinct pistol, sounding exactly like yours does, killing the man. You then see a canine move toward you, holding a Kaltag competition model almost identical to yours. They bend down and grab you by the binds, ripping them apart before handing you the weapon. When you pick it up, you see...engravings? Wait a second...

“Jack?” You ask meekly.

He doesn't respond, grabbing a weapon from Vikna that he used during the fight with a supernatural being. She walks over to you, scowling before picking you up off the floor. When you're up, you see another human clad in the same uniform Jack wore when he first arrived, 2 silver bars adorning the collar.

“Let's get out of here.” The gruff man tells you. “Stay close, we need to steal a dropship.”

You nod shakily, raising the gun with your one good hand. You were finally free.

5 hours later

You're sitting in a stolen shuttle, 3 more humans having been taken prisoner along the way. The reason behind there being only 3 was because Jack brutally murdered the rest of them, tearing them apart with his bare hands as he ripped through them with ferocity you've never seen before. The most terrifying part was his friend was the same way, slaughtering them with whatever he could when he ran out of ammunition. Vikna had to convince both of them to not torture the men violently. You're lost in your own thoughts before snapping fingers brought you back to reality.

“Hey, I got a question for you.” Jack says. “Did you drink my whiskey?”

“No...” You tell him. “I kept it in a cabinet in my apartment.”

He takes off his helmet, a gentle smile being revealed as he sits down on the floor with you.

“I knew you wouldn't do that to us.” He says. “I knew you'd never try to kill Vikna and I.”

He was right. All that stuff you said back then was true, but you weren't going to kill them over it. From what his “Captain” said, he's been doing what he could to make things right. He was scared to death of you for a while, since he hadn't came back until a few weeks after you were captured. It was apparently his birthday when he returned, which was absurd since his birthday was less than a year ago. Then again, time moved in different ways parallel to your universe. You feel the shuttle lurch a bit, beginning to vibrate as you finally enter the atmosphere.

“Jack...” You say apprehensively. “I'm not sorry for what I said, but I'm sorry for telling you to leave. You're making good steps in the right direction, coming to rescue me is a major one. I know if it was...a few guys I knew, they'd leave you to rot out of spite.”

“I'm doing the best I can. I'm making right for another stupid mistake I made and I'll help make Serko right any way I can.” He tells you. “Maybe I'll have some pull with the populace after word spreads we led a rescue that saved thousands of lives in that town.”

“What?” You ask.

“We made contact with Sianian and Empire troops, leading them through the city while we made our way toward a suspected bunker. Long story short, we evacuated most of the civilians in the city before we came for you.” He says. “These 3 are lucky to be alive with how much they've done.”

You look up at the 2 humans and jackal, seeing their eyes go wide in fear. This causes you to smirk, relishing the feeling of payback. The shuttle shudders a bit and you hear a clunk, indicating you had landed. The door in the back opens very forcefully, Ayn nearly jumping inside before seeing you.

“Nytro!” She yells.

“Ayn...” You say, getting off the floor with a groan.

Before you can do anything, she slaps you. Hard.

“Don't you EVER drink yourself into a stupor again! It only gets you captured!” She yells before pulling you into a hug, which you gladly reciprocate. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too.” You reply, putting a bit more weight on her than you normally would.

“Oh Habibi, let me help you inside. You must be starving.” She says, making you realize she's right, you're hungry. “Then after that, I'll give you something extra.”

“I kind of hurt all over Ayn. They...made me do it for hours.” You say, unhappy that you're unable to enjoy what you and Ayn love to do at least once per visit. “I don't think I could take it.”

“I'll be very gentle~.” She says seductively. “Here, eat.”

She hands you a bar of Sianian chocolate, which you open up and take a bite of. You smile and she helps you out of the shuttle. Everything hurts, but every time you see Ayn you get so aroused. Nobody else does it for you like she does. She's so good at what she does, one night with her is all you need for nearly a month. She begins rubbing you in all the right places, seeming to heal all the pain you had, even though she's not a healer. God, the thought of doing it with someone who isn't going to try and break your dick makes you so fucking hard.

“Come on Habibi, let's get into my quarters before you pop in your pants. I can feel your eagerness eating you up~.” She says, licking the nape of your neck gently after she speaks.

Jack

40 minutes later

You've settled into the room with Vikna for the night, having been debriefed and sent on your way. You overheard Ayn and Nytro when you passed their room, hearing him moan loudly while you passed by, which you guess was a product of being pent up for nearly a month. Vikna nestles up close to you, smiling gently as the lights dim. She rubs herself up against you, which makes you feel even more comfortable. You could sleep on top of a bed of pins and needles and still feel right at home with Vikna by your side. Everything from her cute ears to her soft fur was absolutely amazing. You slide yourself further under the covers, pulling Vikna into a hug as you begin to cuddle with your now almost year long partner.

“Is this what true love feels like?” You ask. “I've never been this happy in my life and it's only going to get better.”

“I guess it is.” She replies. “I'm glad the love is still here after all this time. I feel like a normal person for the first time in my life. A normal girl, that is.”

“I feel like a normal guy for the first time.” You say. “I don't know how I could possibly repay you for this.”

“By staying.” She tells you, a smile barely visible in the low light. “I'm tired. Do you want to do anything before we go off to sleep?”

“Maybe tomorrow morning.” You tell her. “I'm so tired I don't think I could keep going for more than a minute.”

“That's not what I meant.” She says. “You're a perv, you know that?”

“You make it so easy though.” You reply with a smirk she can no doubt see.

“Shut up.” She says with a giggle. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” You respond. “Good night.”

“Night.” She says, beginning to purr as she wraps her tail around your leg.

You fall asleep to the gentle vibrations Vikna produces, falling into the warm embrace of sleep once again.

The next day

You're walking around the winding halls, trying to find your way back to the throne room with a cup of coffee in one hand and an espresso in the other. You down the last of the espresso and find a garbage can, setting the paper cup inside before seeing Vikna wandering the halls, looking very drowsy. She sees you and you see a gentle smile wash across her lips, her coming toward you as you also close the distance. When you reach her, you hand her the coffee she always liked.

“Thanks.” She says, taking the cup and drinking it down. “Where were you the past 10 minutes?”

“I got lost.” You tell her. “I'd make a great officer.”

“Funny.” She says, shaking her head. “I think your Captain wanted you for something. I'll lead you to him since you can't seem to find your way in this place.”

You nod and follow Vikna down the halls, hearing faint laughter as you reach a warmer part of the building. When you turn a corner, you see your Captain leaning against the wall, Nytro leaning over the edge as they both laugh hysterically. You rub Viknas head a bit and she giggles, walking back to wherever she was going to originally. You make your way over to the balcony they were all at and the Captain sees you, a smile on his face as he looks back over the side, nearly dying of laughter again.

“Holy shit Haigs! Look at this!” He yells, pointing down at the courtyard.

You look down and see blue guard attempting to do jumping jacks, but failing so spectacularly they look more like they're flailing around than doing exercise.

“Oh my fucking god!” You yell, bursting into laughter. “It's the ANA!”

This seems to strengthen the laughter in the Captain and yourself, as Nytro too joins in. Your laughter doesn't go unnoticed for long, as you hear a call from the courtyard.

“HEY!” One of the blue guard shouts up. “If you think you're so good, why don't you get down here and show us how to do it!”

“You wouldn't want that!” You yell before laughing a bit, remembering when you had to train ANA troops. “I'd hurt your feelings!”

“Why don't you put your money where your mouth is human?! Get down here and show us how to do something you must know all about!” He yells back.

“Whaddya think Cap?” You ask. “Think I should do it to them?”

“Nah, they're not worth the effort.” He says, the chuckles subsiding.

“Jack!” Ayn yells from inside the hallway. “Can you come and help me with something really quick?”

“Gotta go Cap. See you around.” You tell him, walking back inside.

When you round the corner, you see Ayn wearing a dress that was considered normal for her, exposing more than a normal dress would. She has a worried look on her face, waving you along as she jogs back, beckoning you to follow.

“What's going on?” You ask, following her through the halls. “What's with the hurry.”

“I have to do some paperwork and I need help with the, uh, formatting.” She says. “You said you did paperwork, right?”

“Yeah, I did.” You reply.

You both make it to the office she showed you nearly a year ago, the computer being open and Sabir scratching his head.

“Damn pieces of tech. Stupid holographic keys and-oh, hello!” He says, realizing you two had arrived. “Did you bring help?”

“Yes, I believe Jack is able to help out with this.” Ayn replies.

You move up to the chair and see Sabir wearing glasses, looking at the screen with a confused look.

“I don't really know how any of this works. I know we've had computers for a long time now, but I just like the feeling you get from writing things on paper.” He says, embarrassed he didn't know how to use something like this.

You take a look at the files and see everything is all kinds of fucked. The formatting is wrong, the grammar is shockingly full of holes, and the form itself is half finished. You look down and see she was typing in some evaluations for her own personal blue guards, which was unlike her.

“You actually want some blue guard with you?” You ask.

“I picked them myself. Now that mom stopped being a tyrannical asshole, I can finally take some with me without them being the fun police. I've actually never done this kind of thing before and I sort of skipped class a lot.” She says, looking off to the side.

“See where that gets you?” You ask, proceeding to format the information in an orderly manner that's actually coherent. “I think some remedial classes might do some good for you. Look into some.”

“Only if you teach me sweetie.” She tells you in a borderline seductive manner, but with a hint of seriousness thrown in there.

“I'd be more than willing if I didn't have other responsibilities, like paperwork of my own to complete.” You say. “Who the fuck is Buk Lao?”

“Oh, that's supposed to say B'ah Lukao.” She replies. “I think the translator is having a fit, that's why.”

You fix it promptly, believing it's more of an Ayn mistake than it is a translator mistake. She whines a bit, knowing you didn't believe her little lie. You continue reformatting the form before getting a bit bored, taking your ear piece out and setting it on the table. A menu opens up and you choose your writing playlist, some music beginning to play before switching to the speakers on the computer. Most of it was either soundtracks from a video game, orchestral remasters of said soundtracks, or rock and roll from the 70s to 90s. Sabir decides to leave by now, having done all he could.

“What's going on in here?” Vikna asks. “I heard music from down the hall.”

“I'm fixing Ayn's report.” You reply.

“What, slut puppy can't write her own essay?” She asks with sass.

“At least I can bring a man to climax without going over the edge myself.” Ayn replies snarkily.

“At least I don't have to bribe the nerd to do my essay for me.” Vikna says.

“If I have to turn around, I'm making both of you do push ups that you're not going to enjoy.” You tell them. “I'm trying to work.”

They both go quiet and sit down on either side of you, watching as you type out a full report on the man as you've seen on his resume. Once finished, you move to the next man, typing in his name, rank, age, date of birth, pin, and all the other relevant data. That's when you realize most of these men are just as tall, if not taller than Ayn. Most of them have taken a few special forces courses as well as having strength and speed augmentations to make them faster and stronger than even an augmented blue guard. Not to mention Vikna gasped every time one of their photos popped up on the screen.

“What's wrong?” You ask Vikna.

“All of these dudes are hot.” She says. “Like, really hot.”

You turn back to Ayn, who's blushing slightly by now as she looks off to the side in an unusual display of shyness.

“T-they had really good records...” She says.

“Ayn...” You say in a chastising tone. “You know these men have better things to do than have orgies right?”

“T-that's not what they're for!” She yells indignantly.

“Oh my god!” Vikna yells, bursting into laughter. “This is fucking rich!”

“I-I'm looking for someone to guard me...” She says. “Forever...”

Viknas laughter is halted as Ayn looks down at the floor, ears folded back and a look of uncertainty present. She's so disheartened by this whole thing that she looks like she's ready to cry. You turn yourself toward her and pull her into a hug, which she returns gently.

“I just want to find someone. As much as I hate saying it, I'm getting older. I'll need to lead Siania some day and I don't even have a husband to help me.” She says. “I-I feel alone for the first time in my life. I f-feel so alone...”

You feel her begin to sob into your shoulder as Vikna gets up, moving to Ayn's side and putting a hand on her shoulder.

“It's okay Ayn, I know how you feel.” You tell her, remembering for the longest time you never could love a woman without feeling trapped. “Just let it out.”

She continues to sob into your shoulder as you look up at Vikna, who no longer has a teasing look on her face.

“I-I couldn't t-type while I w-wa-was crying so-ho hard.” She says between sobs. “I th-thought da-ad could help b-but I ca-can't cry in front of him.”

“Shh. Just let it out. You don't need to explain anything.” You tell her.

She does exactly that, quieting down as she continues to sob, feeling your shirt begin to wet down. You stroke her long red hair, feeling it flatten into a more natural position before rebounding back to it's previous place. You remove her tiara thing from her head and set it on the desk, hoping to make her more comfortable, which it seems to do. So much stress and so little time to make a decision. Royalty was a special kind of hell.

Eventually, she calms down enough to speak, but instead opts to keep you in an embrace, which you don't mind. She wipes her eyes a bit and pulls back, giving you a genuine smile. Vikna takes her hand off her shoulder and you're about to turn back when she gives you a peck on the cheek, which immediately scares the absolute shit out of you. When your eyes shoot up to Vikna, she smiles, shaking her head and returning to the other side of your chair.

“It's just a customary thing here.” Vikna says. “It doesn't mean anything. Just as long as she doesn't get any closer to the lips, I'm in no place to judge.”

Ayn chuckles a bit before speaking.

“I guess I should take them on a date instead of doing something like this, right?” She asks.

“You're asking the wrong guy.” You tell her. “Go check with Nytro. I'm sure he's more help than I am.”

“Thanks, I needed this.” She says, getting up. “You can stop fixing the report if you want. I'm going to go ask Nytro and see what he thinks.”

You nod, smiling before watching her leave. You turn off the computer, getting up and looking over at Vikna.

“You nearly turned white when she kissed you.” Vikna says.

“I thought you were gonna kill us.” You tell her.

“You still have that woman as the basis of your understanding of women.” She says. “I'm not crazy. I don't go after women who aren't doing anything wrong. It's a custom here and she didn't mean anything by it. At least, I don't think she did.”

“Probably not.” You say, hoping to keep whatever fear might have been brewing up at bay. “Let's go back to the balcony. I'm sure those idiots are still failing to do jumping jacks.”

1 hour later

You're sitting in Ayn's personal galley, eating some sort of alien meat that looked blueish purple. It was sweet and tasted a bit like venison, but that wasn't really a problem for you. When you finish eating, you watch Vikna smile in your direction. She keeps eating some spicy noodles, slurping them up before chewing a bit.

“You two are so sweet together.” Zofie says, bringing out some more noodles for Ayn and Vikna. “Are you sure you don't want any?”

“I'm not much of a spicy guy.” You reply.

She nods, allowing you to get up and take your plates in the kitchen. You set them in the bottom and are about to turn on the faucet when you see no running water. That's when the plate begins floating back up, supported by a field of energy. You feel wind begin to rush as the grease, crumbs, and scraps are lifted up before being turned to dust.

“Holy shit.” You say, backing away. “That shit looks dangerous.”

“Only if you put your hand in it, like you just did.” Zofie says, coming to your side and putting the dishes on a rack as they're pulled in pairs to the “sink”. “You're like a puppy who's seeing everything for the first time. It's almost like you're trying to hurt yourself.”

“He put his hands in the dish washer?” Ayn asks with a chuckle.

“He did.” Zofie says, smacking you on the butt with a towel. “Don't do it again. You might lose a hand.”

You nod and turn back, seeing her walk back out with another large helping of noodles. She sets them down next to Vikna, watching as she takes another bowl full. She already ate the last bowl in the amount of time it took you to almost have your hand vaporized by a dishwasher? She really is a squid. You make your way over to her and put a hand on her shoulder, watching her basically inhale noodles like a fuzzy vacuum cleaner. She swallows the noodles and looks over at you quizzically. You give her a kiss, seeing her ears flick back and forth before she opens her mouth. You feel the very spicy ramen flavor enter your mouth mixed with the slightest hint of mint. The feeling keeps getting hotter as she gets a bit more passionate, brushing her tongue all over the inside of your mouth. This causes you to pull away, your mouth feeling like it's on fire.

“Shit, my mouth's on fire!” You tell her, wiping your tongue off.

She gives you a shit eating grin before going back to eating, swallowing another manipulator full of noodles. When she finishes this bowl, she looks back at you and giggles.

“That's what you get for trying to embarrass me.” She says. “Go and see what the captain is doing. I'm trying to eat.”

You laugh, sneaking another kiss in on her muzzle before running off, watching her blush and grumble a bit.

10 minutes later

You look around the hallways again only to realize you're lost. You seriously needed a map just to navigate this place. It was like a maze. Pretty soon you find your way to the courtyard where everyone was before. Now there's only one guy here and he's...smoking? You haven't seen a single person here smoke a cigarette, cigar, or even a pipe since you got here. The guy flicks his lighter and looks over to you, scowling.

“You got balls makin' fun of us.” He says, walking toward you after pocketing his lighter. “We're the best of the best, we were just having trouble because we went through gas training earlier.”

“I'm just wandering through the maze.” You tell him, backing away slowly. “Not here to make trouble.”

“Too bad, you already made it.” He says, picking up the pace.

“Don't do this man!” You yell. “I'm not gonna fight my allies!”

He breaks into a sprint and he throws a punch, which you deflect off to the side. You weren't intent on kicking his ass as you were running away. So you did just that, putting on a burst of speed. You chance a look behind you and see him gaining on you, so you turn down a hallway. Bad move. Even with your enhanced reflexes, you couldn't react to something so fast. A couple of jackals clothes line you, causing you to fall to the ground like a sack of potatoes. Before you know it, the beating starts, each punch feeling like you're being shot. It hurts so bad, which may be a product of your disoriented state. You can't focus on reducing the pain mentally.

“Stupid fucking ape!” One of them yells, more feet and fists joining in as you feel like your bones may break. “Know your place beneath our boot!”

You're terrified, scared that you might never see Vikna again. If you don't get up, you may never live to see her face one more time. You try to get up, but are immediately kicked down, your hand stomped on by a boot as you feel your fingers snap under their augmented might. The pain is excruciating, causing you to howl out in protest as the beating continued. You feel even more feet join in as you pull yourself into a fetal position, unable to fight this many people. Your arms covered your neck, in an effort to keep your jugular safe. You wish Vikna was here, maybe Ayn or Nytro could make them all go away.

Nails cut at your clothes and flesh as they beat you violently for laughing at them, feeling yourself begin to shake in fear as you feel this may never end. You feel them begin kicking at your head before long, the gel they inserted being the only thing keeping you conscious. You almost wish it wasn't there, as being knocked out like this would definitely be a more pleasant alternative. You feel claws slash and stab at you before feeling your lung fill with blood, coughing it onto one of their feet. There's some shouting at the other end of the hall and you hear the word honor in there somewhere, but the man shouting is cut off.

“I think he's had enough, boys.” The men say, the beating beginning to lessen. “Let's pack it up and clean up. I think he knows better than to squeal.”

The beatings slowly cease, before there was only one man still beating you, giving you one final kick which makes you yelp. They all leave, snickering at you before everyone is finally gone, leaving you on the floor with small patches of blood on the floor. You get out of the fetal position, feeling your entire body involuntarily convulse momentarily from how much pain you're in. You put your non broken hand down on the floor, pushing yourself up as you whine in pain. When you're up, you make your way to the corner, peaking around and seeing nobody coming down the hall.

“I need to get to the med bay before I bleed out.” You say, looking down at all the punctures you have.

You begin moving down the hall, riding the wall as you leave a trail of blood along it.

Ayn

You're walking down the hall, intent on going to the courtyard for a bit of staff training. Your massive rod you took is sitting on your shoulders, the weight hefty to anyone who wasn't augmented or magical like you were. You take a final turn down the hallway and see something odd. Red pain splattered in a line along the wall. When you get closer to it, the scent of copper fills your nostrils as your tail droops down. You put your finger on it and touch your tongue with it and it's definitely not paint.

“Oh my god...” You say, walking back along the blood trail, following it down the right hall.

Your jog breaks into a run as the blood trail stops momentarily, splatting on the ground before resuming on the wall. The trail turns left, so you move with it, the run breaking into a sprint as the blood begins looking fresher. When you turn the next corner, you see a body laying on the ground with too many holes to count on top of their clothes being torn apart. They're laying in a small pool of blood, coughing and wheezing. When you're right on top of them, you see it's Jack.

“Oh my god! Jack!” You shout, rolling him over.

He has his pistol in hand and tries to raise it, but doesn't get anywhere near you with it. He coughs some blood onto your dress and you pick him up, feeling the red liquid stain your fur as you sprint down the hallway. The infirmary isn't far from here. You run into a corner and push off the walls with your foot, not intent on losing any speed. Your foot falls are loud and echo off the walls as you run as fast as you can toward the infirmary.

“I-I'm sorry...” Jack says before he drops his gun, going limp in your arms.

“NO!” You scream, rushing through the open door to the infirmary.

The medical staff inside are treating a man with a broken foot when you come in, carrying a man who's more than likely dead in your arms.

“He needs help!” You yell. “NOW!”

Everyone rushes to a free bed, allowing you to place him down before all sorts of medical instruments are produced. Blood bags are taken out of freezers, injectors are uncapped, and wound restoration devices are starting to work already. The speed in which they work and the timeliness of it all reminded you what the best healthcare in Siania really meant. You move out of their way, allowing them to surround him as high pitched whines and whirs are heard, telltale signs of healing tools being used.

“Was he shot?” You ask, having seen all the punctures on his back and chest.

“No, it actually looks like blunt force trauma and some puncture weapons. Maybe claws or ice picks.” One of the doctors says.

“Is he going to die?” You ask.

“Too early to say.” He replies. “Please, Princess, let us work.”

“Ayn, what the hell is going on?” Vikna asks behind you. “I was about to ask you something and you took off like a shot after a blood trail.”

You turn back and the look on your face combined with the blood on your fur says it all.

“Who?” She asks.

You look down at the floor, unable to answer.

“No...” Vikna says. “What happened?!”

“I don't know. They said it was blunt force trauma and puncture weapons.” You reply.

“Is he going to...” She asks, not able to finish.

You walk past her, not having the heart or the stomach to give her an answer. You didn't want to say anything and get her hopes up, or make her cry when he's going to be fine. All you could do now, was wait.

3 hours later

Vikna was still by Jack's side. The doctors said only time would tell if he made it, but it was likely he would wake up in the next hour or so if he was going to. You run your hand over the pistol Nytro gave him again, the curious markings of his military and rank engraved into the slide. The salute is nearly a perfect match to the salute he gives, the funny looking hat and coat he wore perfectly visible in the engraving. You fiddle around with the gun a bit before finding the button to release the magazine, pulling the slide back and ejecting a bullet from inside.

You hear gentle sobbing coming from Vikna as she begins to cry again, holding his hand tight. Poor girl was so madly in love with him that you couldn't blame her if she wanted to die when he did.

“D-don't leave me Jack. I love you too much!” She yells in complete disregard for her tough girl act. “I-it's all my fault! I told you to go find your Captain and you almost got killed!”

You hear violent coughing come from over on one of the beds, seeing Jack shoot up and begin coughing up dried blood and mucus from his lungs. Vikna grabs him shortly after, jumping on top of him and cuddling with him.

“Jack!” She yells. “Y-you're alive!”

“W-where am I?” He asks. “I-I don't-”

“Who did this to you?” She asks, sitting down on top of his crotch.

“I-I fell down some stairs.” He lies.

“Who got to you?” You ask, slapping the magazine back in the gun and racking it. “I'll find them and bring them to justice.”

“Put that fucking gun down before you shoot someone!” He yells angrily. “Now!”

You set the gun down beside him and he takes the magazine out, unloading the bullet you put inside it and shoving it back in the magazine.

“This isn't a toy.” He adds. “This thing is designed to destroy whatever it's pointed at. Do not play with it ever again.”

“The point still stands.” You tell him. “Who did this to you?”

“If I told you, I'd be killed for real.” He replies.

“Not with us around.” Vikna says. “Besides, we can just run a DNA scan instead if you want that.”

“F-fine.” Jack tells her. “It was the blue guard recruits. I don't know how many of them actually participated, but I know there were at least 4 there.”

You immediately turn back, walking out the door to go and find these poor excuses for jackals.

“Hey!” He shouts. “Get back here!”

You turn around and see him getting out of bed, gritting his teeth and hissing.

“What?” You ask.

“You're not going to go alone.” He says. “You will go and get trained blue guard to come with you.”

“I've trained in CQC my entire life.” You tell him. “I'll be fine. If you follow me, they'll know you talked.”

He sighs, laying back down in bed as Vikna clamps onto him. If he wanted to move now, he'd have to take Vikna with him. You take your staff off the side of the medical bay and walk out.

10 minutes later

You make it to the rookie barracks and knock on the door of the first door you see, a young jackal stepping out. He bows in response, falling to his knees before you bring him to his feet with your staff. You give him the eyes and he blushes deeply, prompting you to push him inside, closing and locking it behind you. When you're both inside, you push him down on his bed and his breathing sharpens, not knowing what to do.

“Strip down soldier, I'm sure it's been a hard day of training for you.” You say, noticing his erection was immediate.

“P-Princess...” He stutters, undoing his garments. “I-I have to tell-ah!”

You immediately begin stroking his length, which causes him to twitch as you touch his knot. He's already close? They get worse every year. Before he can finish, you grab his dick and squeeze it, looking up at him as he yelps in pain.

“I have a question to ask you.” You say. “Where were you this morning at around 10?”

“P-Princess, you're hur-AH!” He yelps as you squeeze a bit harder.

“I could pop your dick like a banana right now for hurting my friend.” You say, smiling deviously. “Just a bit more pressure and...pop!”

You give him a little bit more pressure and he begins hitting the bed, whining violently before laying his head back on the wall.

“I-I was a-about to t-tell you...” He says. “P-please don't hurt me P-Princess.”

You let go of his dick and he takes a deep breath, covering himself up from you before continuing.

“It was D'ahli, Stelan, Duy, Sok'al, and Ba'ashad.” He says. “P-please don't hurt me Princess, I didn't know who to go to. This isn't the blue guard way.”

You feel like a dick now, acting rashly like a child to find out what you know when he was already going to tell you anyway.

“What's your name, soldier?” You ask.

“Sek'la, Princess.” He says before whining. “I-I think I need to go to the infirmary...”

“No, I'll fix it.” You tell him, moving his hand out of the way as a grey field of energy envelopes his member. “I'm sorry for the misunderstanding, I was just upset that your comrades had hurt my friend. They will pay in court. As an apology, I'll let you use any hole you like for the rest of the day.”

He moans a bit before his cock gets slightly bigger, healing itself in the process before precum begins leaking out. You didn't know how or why, but when you enlarged and shrank a dick, all blemishes and pain they felt inside previously went away. It was like pseudo healing, but for penises.

“P-Princess, you don't have to do this. I'm devoted to the royal family until death, I don't need to be thanked.” He says.

“I'm making amends for my sins. Are you going to deny me that?” You ask, sticking him in your mouth.

“P-Princess!” He yells before you begin your usual ritual for day long sex.

Jack

Your everything still hurts from being stabbed and beaten nearly to death by some upset jackals. Either Ayn had found out who was behind it, or she was being brutally abused in the same way you were. Hopefully she took some of them with her. Vikna is still holding onto you tight, not allowing you to go anywhere while she gives you some “mandatory comforting” as she calls it.

“Jack, you in here?” Dick calls in.

“Yeah, I'm here, sir.” You say weakly. “I think I just got hazed to death by the ANA.”

“Jesus, you okay?” He asks, his boot falls getting closer.

“48 puncture wounds, a broken hand, a punctured lung, and bruises all over my body. Nearly died, sir.” You say, holding Vikna like a teddy bear as she licks your neck a couple times.

“You don't sound like a man who's had a near death experience.” Dick says, hearing a light whirring as he sits on one of the fancy floating doctor stools. “Don't even sound scared.”

You turn to face him, Vikna wrapping herself around you again to prevent you from leaving.

“You have no idea.” You tell him, rolling back over and pulling Viknas head closer to you. “I thought I might never see any of you again.”

He falls silent for a while, Vikna periodically giving you a lick on the neck before rubbing her fur and hair into your chin.

“Do you know who it was?” He asks.

“Ayn left to find out.” You say, rubbing Viknas fur gently.

“Well, I hope she's doing well.” He says. “Mind telling me what you did to yourself to be able to lift three men in the air?”

“I exchanged gold for an operation to enhance my bone and muscle density, increase my reflex time, correct and improve my vision, and do a bunch of other stuff I'm drawing a blank on.” You reply. “Most of it is getting reversed when this stupid war is over. I'm not keeping this shit inside me. I can't even give Vikna a hug without worrying I'll break her spine.”

“You don't give me enough credit.” She says, her voice muffled by your chest. “I'm a bit less fragile than you think.”

“Vikna, I don't want to take any chances.” You tell her. “My legs weigh more than your entire body combined.”

“Fatty.” She says.

“Twig.” You reply in kind.

You feel her tail wrap around you before turning as far over as you can, looking at the Captain.

“Sir, I'm getting really tired. Mind letting me rest? These nanites are taking everything out of me.” You lie.

You just want some alone time with Vikna. She wants to cuddle with you some more, but she can't really get comfortable while people are looking. Even though her barriers have been broken down to a degree, there's still a reluctance to show affection in public. He grunts as he removes himself from the chair, nodding before walking out of your field of view. Vikna watches him leave before hearing the door close, bringing her muzzle to your face and beginning to make out again. Your tongues dance around each others mouths, her soft lips with even softer surrounding fur breaking you free from reality once more. That is, until you needed air. Both of you break away and begin gasping for air, Vikna smiling as she positions herself in a more appropriate position. You begin taking off your pants before she stops you, shaking her head.

“Not right now. Maybe later tonight if you're good.” She says with a smirk.

You wipe the smirk off her face with another kiss, both of you closing your eyes and laying down lazily on the bed.

2 days later

You're sitting in a sandstone courtroom, floating cameras flying about as you sit politely while waiting for the judge to arrive. To your right were 10 different men who were alleged to have been at the scene of the crime while you were being beaten as well as the men who were beating you. You were dressed in blues, cover sitting in your lap while Vikna, your lawyer, and Captain Richard Sellard sat to your left. Ayn and the royal family were also behind you, while many men and women sat in the jury. Finally, an elderly looking jackal enters the room.

“All rise.” Someone says and you rise to a state of attention, as does Vikna and Dick. “You may now be seated.”

You sit back down, looking up at the judge as she begins reviewing some documents on a holographic tablet.

“Trial of Staff Sergeant Jackson John Haigs of the United States Marine Corps versus Group L of the 23rd has commenced. How do the defendants plead?” The judge asks.

There's some conversing between the defendants and their own lawyer before the leader of them all smiles menacingly at the lawyer. He nods, looking back at the judge.

“They plead not guilty.” He says.

“Of course.” She says, looking over to you. “How do you plead against the charges placed against you?”

Before the lawyer could answer, you tell the judge the truth.

“I plead guilty on all charges.” You reply.

The woman raises an eyebrow before responding.

“You do realize that by admitting you aggravated the group into assault, you are liable to receive punishment according to Sianian law, correct?” She asks, adjusting her glasses.

“Yes, your honor.” You reply. “What I did was wrong and I won't hide that fact. I'll serve my time if need be.”

“I see...” She says, puzzled by you admitting you're at fault. “Well, we may begin the trial. Both parties may present their evidence before calling upon a witness to testify for and against. Since Haigs pleads guilty, his evidence may be presented first.”

Your lawyer scoots past all of you, making it to the stand where he opens a holographic tablet of his own, expanding it to the holo-screen in the middle of the court room.

“This is video footage we managed to recover from mister Haigs's implants. Be prepared, this footage is extremely graphic. If you're faint of heart, please turn away now.” He says, playing the video back.

The footage shows you deflecting a blow off to the side before running back inside, only to be clothes lined by two pairs of arms. The video pauses, allowing at least 2 of the men to be identified completely. You chance a look and see their ears are folded back. They're definitely without a doubt guilty of this.

“Sok'al and Duy are seen here in the video physically assaulting my client and actively denying his right to retreat.” The lawyer says. “The video also shows their squad leader, Lek'talah being the one to start the fight and subsequent beating.”

The video continues before another frame is frozen. 2 more are identified and your lawyer speaks again.

“Here we see Na'del and Kliah just before the beating begins, which I will skip through since nothing of note happens until the very end.” He says.

The video fast forwards, the people behind you gasping at the violent brutality, especially the part where your hand gets stomped on. You raise the cast on your arm to get a better look at it, which some people also comment on quietly. When the video is stopped, your torn up arm is seen on screen before the frame is frozen and enhanced.

“Thanks to his augmented vision, the image captures 2 more men looking at him from the other side of the hall.” Your lawyer adds. “I'd like to call Sek'la to the stand.”

“You fucking snitch!” One of the men yells out in anger.

You feel and hear the cast crack as you ball your hand into fist at the word. Only cowards and fear mongers used that word to describe a witness.

“Quiet down!” The judge yells back. “I'll have you charged with disrupting the courtroom if you speak without being spoken to again!”

He sits back in his seat and a smaller jackal makes his way to the front of the courtroom, a larger jackal guiding him to the stand.

“Sek'la, I will now swear you in as a witness. Do you swear on the gods and godesses above as well as in this courtroom that you will tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?” She asks.

“Yes, your honor.” He says, glancing nervously at the crowd of fuming jackals.

“Good, please proceed with your questioning mister Sanli.” The judge says.

“Thank you your honor. Is it true that you saw all 10 of these men at or around the crime scene?” Your lawyer asks Sek'la.

“Yes, sir.” Sek replies.

“Do you also admit you were at the crime scene as well?” He asks.

“I was, sir.” He replies.

“Mind telling us why you were there?” The lawyer asks. “Also, who are the two men in this image?”

“I was trying to tell them that letting their high emotions dictate their actions was not the way of the blue guard. I was then told that I should leave and pretend I never saw anything, sir.” He replies. “I had always planned on coming to trial, but our princess convinced me I could do more good if I came to trial sooner rather than later. As for the men in the video, that's Ba'ashad and Stelan. They both stabbed and slashed at the Staff Sergeant with their claws.”

“Well I'm glad you did. This case wouldn't have a foundation to stand upon if you hadn't.” Your lawyer says with a smile. “All other information will be displayed in visual format for the jury's viewing, uh, pleasure isn't the right word.”

A floating camera flies in front of your face, spooking you and nearly causing you to fall out of your chair. The camera backs away slowly, knowing it has gotten too close. You shoo it away and it zips off to another part of the courtroom, observing you from a distance. Vikna chuckles at that, as does the judge and lawyer.

“I apologize for the interruption your honor. Please continue.” You say.

“Yes, well, now that the evidence has been presented, the other party may make their case.” The judge tells the court room.

3 hours later

The other party had nothing much to stand on besides slander and claims of disregarding the honor that comes with being a blue guard. This was, however, dismissed by the judge, citing that she was former military and the banter you did was standard fare for the military. The jury comes back out, having reached a verdict.

“We find all defendants from defendant group B to be guilty on all counts of attempted murder, assault, battery, obstruction of escape, use of deadly appendages in melee, assaulting a political envoy, and assaulting a member of a foreign military.” The jury says.

“I guess that settles it. I find all the defendants of defendant group B guilty. The squad leader receiving 30 years in prison as well as being stripped of his augments, while the rest get 15 years in prison with the chance of parole after 2 years. They will be kept in an augment focused prison. How do you rule defendant group A?” The judge asks.

“We find the defendant from group A to be found not guilty outside of one count of disturbing the peace, which is a 1000 credit fine inside the perimeter of the palace as well as physical punishment from the royal family.” The jury replies.

“Well then, I rule the defendant from group A guilty on one count of disturbing the peace. You may pay the fine and receive your punishment in a timely fashion.” She says. “This court session is adjourned. Please escort the groups out of the courtroom.”

Two extremely ripped blue guard walk over to the 10 men, beginning to cuff them while a single blue guard walks up to you, waving you along. You stand and give a salute, which he returns in kind, allowing you to walk out of the court room ahead of the would be blue guard. Ayn makes her way over to you and smiles gently.

“Told you I'd bring them to justice.” She tells you with a smirk.

“I never doubted you. Hopefully I won't be around when they get out of prison. I don't want to be mugged by 9 dudes who hate my guts for sending them to prison.” You say. “What's this physical punishment thing for anyway?”

“It's an old rule mom used to have in place. She'd use it as grounds to hate fuck or beat down anyone who protested outside the palace. Now she just brings people in and gives them a flick on the snout or a slap in the face depending on severity. You'll probably get a flick on the nose, but I'm also authorized to deliver the punishment if you want something a bit more...mild~.” Ayn explains.

“Ayn, what part of monogamous don't you understand?” You ask.

“I'm joking.” She says. “I know you'd never do it with me after you basically put a ring on Vikna.”

“He better not. I'll tear his nuts off and feed them to him like Telryon fruits.” Vikna tells her.

“Jackson.” You hear behind you.

When you turn around, you see Kesis standing before you, hands on her hips.

“Disturbing the peace?” She asks, making her way up to you. “Lower your head.”

You do so, lowering your head down a bit. She brings her hand up to your cheek and smacks it hard, smiling afterward.

“I need to change this stupid law. Your punishment has been dealt, go back to your room and rest up. Ayn already paid your fine with the card she gave you as a gift.” She says walking off.

Ayn turns back to you and giggles a bit, Vikna following suit as you touch the spot she slapped with your hand. You then look over at your broken cast, sighing.

“Shit, I think I might need a new cast.” You say.

“If you were able to crush the cast, I think it's safe to say you don't need it any more.” Ayn replies. “Now go along. I know you and Vikna are aching for a little...rest and relaxation.”

“Ayn, that's gross.” You say. “But yeah, let's go get some rest.”

Vikna nods and hooks her arm around yours, leading you off to your room for your last day in Siania.

2 days later

You're sitting on a chair, waiting for the store to open as Zofie sets the last premade pie inside the display case. She waves you over and you get up, adjusting the straps on your vest before moving toward the counter. Zofie had asked why you were wearing the vest and you cited your last incident with the local populace, so she told you to cover it up with an apron to at least look somewhat presentable. She tried asking you to remove your helmet, but instead you put a swashbuckling hat on top, which she shook her head at in disappointment. When you enter the kitchen, she waves you over to the sink, which has about 20 pots, pans, and dishes of various types sitting inside.

“Your punishment begins now.” She says. “Get washing.”

You nod, beginning to wash the dishes with good old fashion water and soap. You scrub, wipe, wash, rinse, dry, and repeat for the next half hour, hearing Zofie greeting the first customers of the day with joy and enthusiasm. The past few days she's been surprisingly cold to you, not wanting to talk like she normally does. This was good for you, as not much happens that would interest her, but it still surprises you that she hasn't been nearly as cheerful around you as she normally is. It was unnatural, but you were sure it was still Zofie. She must be going through something right now that dampens her mood, which you'll have to ask about later. Zofie comes back inside, holding some more dirty dishes for you.

“I need you to wash these for me.” She says, tossing them on the side of the sink with a clatter before turning back toward the front, walking through the door and greeting more customers.

You take them and do the usual scrub, wipe, wash, rinse, dry that you've been doing for the past half hour, cleaning them off in no time before flicking your hands off. You make your way to the broom and dust pan before beginning to sweep the kitchen up, keeping yourself busy. There were small pieces of dough and bread laying around the floor as well, which you promptly swept up with the straw broom. When you finish sweeping the kitchen up, you dump the crumbs, spare dough, dirt, and fur into the trash. You look back at Zofie, who has her hands on her hips and an unamused look on her face.

“That's not the broom I use.” She says. “That's for decoration.”

You look down at the broom and back to her, which prompts her to open a closet and pull out a much more modern looking broom.

“Please put my antique back.” She says, setting the broom back inside the closet.

You nod, putting the broom and pan back where you put them. She sighs, leaning back on one of the counters.

“Zofie, what's wrong?” You ask.

“I'm not exactly happy that you're wearing what you're wearing on top of the fact that you completely forgot about me. Do you know what I had to deal with in that god forsaken city?” She asks.

“I can only imagine.” You say. “Germany has turned into a...culturally enriched country in the last few years.”

“That on top of trouble seeming to follow in your wake everywhere you go hasn't helped my sanity. I keep expecting some armored up goon to pop through my door and begin shooting up the place.” She says.

“Then why have me around?” You ask, beginning to get irritated yourself. “I want to get back home, you don't want me around-”

“That's the thing. I do want you around. That's what makes me so upset is that I do and don't want you around. I'm so confused and I don't know what to do.” She says. “Nytro isn't any help either. He just says to go with what my heart says and it's saying two different things.”

“Do you want me to stand outside and guard the place instead?” You ask. “I'm really good at standing still and looking mean.”

“No, I want the help, but...” She says, looking off to the side. “I-I don't know what's happening. Every time I'm around you I just want to be around you, but I also don't because you attract so much bad luck.”

You look around, searching for something to do before she makes her way up to you, grabbing your face and pointing it toward her.

“I wasn't done!” She yells. “I...wasn't done.”

You pull her hands away from you and walk out the front door, seeing a few guys and a few girls sitting on tables while they eat.

“Sorry everyone. Store's closing for the day.” You tell them. “Something just came up.”

“Hey!” Zofie yells behind you. “You can't just close my shop.”

“I hope you can come again some other time. I think we have something going on in the back that requires all our attention for now.” You say, ignoring her requests.

“S-stop taking charge!” She yells. “This isn't your shop.”

“We can come back some other time Zofie. We heard everything in the back.” They say.

You then see the massive ears they all have on top of their heads, which were all swiveling slightly to better hear what you assume is the micro-sounds emitted by your heart.

“N-no, it's not a prob-”

“You're having personal troubles.” Another says. “There's no need. We know everyone needs a break every once and a while.”

“W-well...” She says, looking off to the side.

“Thank you for understanding. We hope you visit again.” You tell them in your practiced customer service voice. “Thank you for coming.”

They nod, taking their paper plates with pastries and other confections with them as everyone files out of the bakery. They give her a gentle, understanding smile before leaving, the last one out flipping the sign over to closed before exiting. You turn toward her and she has her arms crossed, awaiting your reasoning for closing her shop.

“Let's go for a walk.” You tell her, taking off the apron and swashbuckling hat.

1 hour later

You're walking down the old fashioned streets of the old world district, seeing shops more at home in the 1800s to 2000s than somewhere that hasn't used wheeled vehicles in the last ten thousand years. Despite this, you see a couple of cars rolling down the road, passing you by as some of the people on the street stare in awe. Zofie walks in front of you, which forces you to stop walking forward.

“You haven't said a word since we left. What are we doing?” She asks.

“I figured you'd ask me a question, but I guess you're wound so tight you don't want to talk with me.” You reply. “What do you want to talk about?”

“For one, how could you leave me on earth?” She asks.

“I already told you. The portal was inoperable for 3 days.” You reply. “Contrary to popular belief, I can't phase through reality and pluck people from different universes.”

“Did you even try?” She asks.

“Fluff tried his best.” You reply. “I don't know how to work the portal.”

“Still, you should've at least told us you were leaving.” She says.

“I was too drunk to even remember when we left.” You tell her. “I know I should've. Lots of mistakes happened that night and I apologize. I should've stayed sober and done the right thing, but I didn't. I'll make it up to you, just not by working in your shop. I'm terrible at cooking.”

“It's a bakery, not a shop.” She says. “But...thank you for the apology. Let's drop in the Teuful Hund for a drink. I promise I won't get drunk on you. It's nearing what I can only translate to Autumn bloom. That means Oktoberfest is coming.”

You nod and she pulls you inside the bar you were apparently stopped right in front of. When you enter, lots of dogs, wolves, felines, lizards, and other anthros were all mingling with each other. Some wore uniforms while others wore lederhosen, passing out beer to customers in large glass mugs. The atmosphere was oddly rustic, seeing no floating anything and no blue lighting. Only incandescent bulbs, candles, chalk boards, and barrels of alcohol. Zofie walks over to a table and you sit down, taking your helmet off and setting it on your lap. A waiter comes by and smiles, taking out a holographic pad.

“What will you two be having today?” She asks.

“I'll take some Schreugers ale.” Zofie replies. “A glass of it.”

“I'll take whatever cheap beer you got.” You add. “Not looking to get drunk.”

“Okay, one Dialantium brew from the bottle and one glass of Schreugers.” She says. “Anything else?”

“No thank you.” Zofie says.

“Alright, I'll be back soon.” She says with a smile.

You nod, turning back to Zofie. She leans back against the chair, rubbing under her chin before sticking her tongue out a bit. She quickly pulls it back in as you hear the door open, watching her eyes go wide in surprise. You look behind you and see a dog of short stature walking up to the bar, the bar tender making his way over to the man. When you turn back, Zofie is still watching the man, her tail wagging back and forth quickly.

“Who's that?” You ask.

“H-he used to be on my high school ball team. Everyone in school was in love with him. He runs a deli business on top of playing football.” She says. “I was never able to even get near him.”

“Do you like him?” You ask.

“Of course I do.” She replies. “I think he's way out of my league. There's no way he'd talk to someone like me when he's got so many other pretty girls to talk to.”

You see her tail stop wagging and droop down the back of the chair, her ears drooping further down than usual. There's a pang of pity in your heart as she lays her head down on the table, sighing sadly as the waitress comes back.

“Here's your drinks.” She says, setting the bottle in front of you before giving Zofie her glass. “Enjoy.”

Zofie looks up at her beer and looks back down at the table, not even bothering to touch it. She looks so dejected that you thought she might start sinking into the wood. That's when you had an idea.

“Have I been broadcast on the news here?” You ask.

“Yeah, quite a few times.” She replies, not moving her head from the table. “They even made a show dedicated to humans because of you.”

“I'll be right back.” You say, putting on one of your combat gloves and taking your beer with you.

You approach the empty seat next to the man, sitting yourself down and opening the bottle with your gloved hand. The dog turns toward you and looks at you lifting the cap off the bottle, cocking his head.

“Oh, hi.” He says before looking up at your face. “Wait a second, I've seen you on the news. You're that human, aren't you? John, wasn't it?”

“Name's Jack.” You reply, holding out your non-gloved hand. “What's yours?”

“Dellevontu, but my friends call me Dell.” He says, shaking your hand firmly.

“Hey, do you mind me asking you a favor?” You ask. “I know you don't owe me anything, but I just need you to do something small for me.”

“Sure, what do you need?” He asks.

“I have a friend who says she went to school with you.” You reply. “She has always wanted to meet you and said you were always surrounded by chicks.”

“Ah, yeah.” He says. “What's her name?”

“Her name's Zofie.” You reply. “She's sitting back at a table I was just at.”

He looks back at a table and you look to Zofie, who's watching you intently. As soon as Dell lays his eyes on her, she looks away, covering her face as you see it go a bit red.

“Is that her name?” He asks. “I've seen her so many times, but I could never really find her to talk.”

“Well, now's your time to talk.” You say. “Thanks for helping me out.”

“It's my pleasure man. I'll go and talk with her.” He says.

Zofie

You've been watching Jack for a while now, seeing him talk with the one and only Dellevontu. You see him thumb over in your direction and Dell begins turning in your direction, causing you to turn away shyly. Your entire face goes red with embarrassment. Did he just ask Dell if he knew you? When you finally find the strength to look up, you see Dell pulling out a chair at your table. He's sitting down next to you!

“Hi, your name is Zofie, right?” He asks.

You squeak a bit, covering yourself while looking up with a mad blush on your face. He's actually talking to you. The popular guy is actually talking to you!

“J-ja...” You say meekly.

“I'm Dellevontu, but you can call me Dell.” He says. “I heard you own a bakery a few miles down the street.”

“I-I do.” You tell him shakily, taking your hand away from your face.

“I've never actually been there, but everyone I've talked to says it's really good. You still make things with actual ingredients?” He asks.

“Y-yes, I do.” You reply, sitting up now.

“That's really cool. I didn't think anyone still did that outside of really high price restaurants.” He says. “Maybe we could go back there and I could buy a pastry.”

“Y-yes, that'd be nice.” You tell him.

“Then, maybe you can come over to my place for dinner. It's probably not nearly as good as home cooking, but it's one of the best food printers money can buy.” He continues. “I do have one question for you though.”

“What's that?” You ask nervously.

“Why did you never say hello?” He asks. “I always wondered who you were.”

“Y-you did?” You ask, your tail beginning to wag on its own.

“I did.” He says with a chuckle, noticing your tail wagging.

“You were always surrounded by so many pretty and more popular girls.” You reply. “I knew I didn't really stand a chance against them.”

“Nonsense. I thought you were really cute.” He says with a smile that makes your heart flutter. “I could never find you when I had time to myself.”

“Y-you looked for me?” You ask with a nervous stutter.

“I did. Nobody ever knew where you disappeared to.” He replies. “I never even got an address, so I couldn't really go off to find you.”

“Oh my gosh, I feel like an idiot.” You say. “I live over on Geltreg street in the Letview apartments. I'm on the second floor, room 208.”

“Really? I live in a housing complex on the same street!” He says with a laugh. “We only live a mile away from each other.”

“That's so weird.” You say with a smile, no longer fearful that you can screw this up. “I thought I would've seen you at least once.”

“I have blacked out windows.” He says. “I used to get mobbed before I used them.”

“I guess that's a good reason to get them.” You tell him. “You still want to go and get something to eat at my bakery? I can make you whatever you want.”

“That'd be amazing! Thank you so much!” He says with a smile. “Please, lead the way.”

You get up, noticing your tail hasn't stopped moving, but you also notice his has started moving. This makes you very happy, looking over to see Jack beaming at you with a wide smile. He gets up, swiping a card over a scanner before taking the bottle of beer with him. He walks up to both of you, towering over the two of you like a giant tree. It made both Dell and you feel small by comparison, even though Dell was at least 5'10”.

“How are you two doing?” He asks.

“We're doing gr-” You both say at the same time before you respond. “I'm sorry, you go first.”

“No, you spoke before I did.” He says. “You go first.”

“Okay, we're doing great.” You say before giggling at Dell. “I'm going to make Dell a pie when we get back.”

“Great, I really hope you two have a great time at the bakery. I just got a call from Vikna and she needs me for something. I'll see you two later.” He says.

“Bye Jack!” You say back as he walks out the front door. “Thanks for this...”

You try to say more, but you don't know if it's because he's already gone or because you didn't know what to say, but that's all you get out.

“Come on, let's go catch up. We still have lots to talk about.” Dell says excitedly.

Jack

8 hours later

You're sitting on a bench, watching the future retro cars go by as you wait for Zofie to close. Vikna is watching all the cars going by, amazed that she never noticed them going by when she visited previously. When you see the sign flip, Zofie and Dell both come out caked in flour and dough. They're both laughing and having a good time. It's been a long time since you've seen Zofie this happy and the last time was, well, you don't really remember. She was never even this happy when she was with you.

“You played matchmaker today?” Vikna asks.

“I guess I did. They both knew each other from school.” You tell her. “Guess he could never find her after school, which is why they never really got together.”

“Well, yeah. Nytro would always take her back to his place after school. They'd run around and he'd try to teach her to be a delinquent, but she never really listened. I think she steered him on the path to become a law and order officer instead.” Vikna explains.

“Gee, I never would've guessed Nytro was a troubled youth.” You say sarcastically.

“Hey!” Zofie yells across the street. “We're going back to Dells place! Want to tag along?!”

“You two go on ahead!” You yell back.

“The door code is under the doormat! Change it and text me the code when you get there! We won't be back tonight!” She yells back before hooking her arm around Dells.

You wave back to her and they both walk toward the bar before she stops, turning back toward you.

“Oh, your punishment has been served!” She yells.

You nod, waving her off as they both walk down the sidewalk, giggling and laughing the whole way.

1 hour later

You close the door behind you with the piece of paper holding the code and your handwriting on it as well. She must've kept one of the order slips you put on the line and wrote on it with...something blue. You look around the apartment and take a step forward, immediately stepping on some clothing. After you make it to the couch, Vikna picks up what you stepped on, which were a pair of...no, that's a G-string.

“Looks like puppy isn't as innocent as she looks.” Vikna says with a smirk.

You look down at the couch, seeing exactly one spot open for a person to sit, which reminds you of yourself back when you were 18. Still, you're not sitting in this pig stye and begin cleaning up, picking up shirts, pants, skirts, panties, sock like things, gloves, and other clothing items. You sort them by color, size, and the ability to be washed before making your way to the closet. When you open it, you see a medium sized washing machine and dryer combo.

“You're such a neat freak.” Vikna says. “I bet you would've freaked out if you weren't already high strung when you woke up at my place.”

“Well, now I know you're not gonna clean up your part of the house.” You say with a smile. “Guess I'm going to be the everything man.”

“Maybe I'll learn to cook.” She tells you. “I'm sure Zofie is more than willing to teach me.”

You get up, setting the dark washables inside the washer before putting the washing machine on the appropriate setting. Before you can find any detergent, some squirts out of the top of the machine, covering the clothes in a liquid substance eerily similar to...you know what. You close the machine up, letting out an “eugh” before starting the cycle. When you turn to see Vikna holding more clothes.

“Her room was worse.” She says, setting down the massive pile of clothes. “She also has a weird wooden gun on a mount in her room. Don't know where it's from, but it looks old.”

You nod, making your way past the pile of clothes and opening the door to Zofies room. When it opens, you see a mildly worn shotgun sitting on a mount right by her bed, brass and plastic shells sitting on the shelf atop the mount. When you take it down, you rack it, a tube making its way out of the rear of the shotgun and depressing the hammer. This was an 1897 from back on earth. Where did she find this? You bring the pump all the way back and a shell flies from inside, making you catch the antique. You push the pump back closed and let the hammer down, loading the shell back inside the gun. When all is said and done, you put the thing back on the mount and look down at her bed, beginning to make the mess of blankets into something presentable.

When you exit her room, Vikna is finished sorting the clothes into the correct piles, all ready for washing in the washer that isn't large enough for it all. You decide to have a poke around in the fridge before seeing the cheese you made is still fresh inside. She used about half of it, but the other half is still good. After you pull it out, you turn on the oven, grabbing some butter and setting it on the counter. You grab the bread you made as well, setting it down before cutting a few slices into it. You're surprised at how new it still feels. That stabilization field is a real miracle.

“You making another one of the grilled cheeses?” Vikna asks.

“You bet.” You reply, buttering the bread before cutting the cheese...literally.

You look back and set a skillet down on the top of the stove, putting some butter in the bottom before seeing it begin sizzling already. This is much more advanced than you remember.

“Is this a new stove?” You ask. “I can't tell because everything looks like it's out of popular science magazines about what the future will look like in a thousand years.”

“Yes, it is.” Vikna replies.

You nod, setting the sandwich on the skillet as you begin cooking the thing. After about a minute, you flip and repeat, doing the same thing a few more times before you have 4 of the things ready to go. You take 2 over to Vikna, having been split down the middle so it seemed like you were eating more food than you actually are. Vikna opens up a foreign brand of soda that you couldn't quite translate while you drink water, not wanting to try whatever the hell they pass as soda here. You turn on the TV before the washer drier combo beeps, which makes you get up and walk over to the thing.

“Need any help?” Vikna asks after swallowing the last of a half sandwich.

“No, I'll be fine.” You reply with a smile. “Thanks for asking.”

“I wasn't gonna help you anyway.” She says with a smirk.

“Of course.” You say, unloading and folding clothes.

When they're all folded and put in a pile, you make your way back to Zofie's room, opening up her top drawer. You see a gun, some vibrators, and underwear inside of this one, so you put the panties and g-strings inside as well. The next drawer down opens before you can pull the handle, so you set the shirts inside the empty compartment. The next drawer down opens as you put your hand in front of it, indicating the top one is either broken or under some kind of soft lock down. There's a single skirt inside of this drawer, so you put skirts and the rest of the shirts inside of it. The last drawer down has a pair of pants and a belt inside, so you put the pants inside this drawer. When you're finished with that, you hang the more important looking clothes and a few pairs of lederhosen in the closet.

“Stop snooping around her room you pervert!” Vikna yells in there. “Get out here and eat before it gets all cold!”

You make your way out of the room, sitting next to Vikna before picking up your plate of grilled cheese.

“What were you doing in there?” She asks.

“I was putting her clothes away.” You reply. “Why did you think I was snooping? I don't care if she has a severed anthro hand in her closet, as long as she doesn't hurt me, I'm fine.”

“Was there a hand in there?” Vikna asks, slightly alarmed by your comment.

“There were some vibrators and a gun, if that counts for anything.” You reply.

“Jack! That's really private!” She yells before getting close to you. “Uh...what kind?”

“Vikna...” You say, looking back down at her with a chastising tone.

“What?!” She asks. “You're the one who looked through her stuff first!”

“Vikna, that's nasty.” You tell her. “Using someone elses sex toys is gross. It's almost as gross as that public use fleshlight we had on base in Iran.”

“You're so gross!” She says. “Well, since we're on the topic, can you answer my question?”

“She had a couple pink ones and a purple one-”

“I mean what kind? Were they ones you strap to your leg, big dicks, small rods, you need to tell me.” She reiterates.

“I don't know, but one of the pink ones had a little cord attached to-”

“SHE STOLE MY VIBRATOR!” Vikna shouts angrily. “I'm going to kill her!”

Vikna gets up, setting the plate of food down and marching off into her room. She opens up a drawer and a loud “AHA!” sounds from inside. When she comes out, she's holding the larger portion of the vibrator with the smaller portion hanging limply by the small cord. She holds it in front of you, which causes you to pull away violently.

“See! It says VR right there!” She says.

“If you don't get that fucking thing out of my face, I'm going to slap you so hard your head will spin around like a cartoon.” You tell her.

She pulls the thing back before looking at it and back toward you. It's almost like she gets hit by a truck as the realization hits her. Her entire face and neck go completely beat red as she hurriedly stuffs the sex toy away, turning away from you.

“W-what was I thinking?!” She asks aloud.

“You weren't.” You reply. “Sit down please, I'm trying to watch TV.”

She complies, sitting down next to you. You pull her toward you and you feel her face burning up through your shirt. At least she's self aware...to an extent. You begin eating your sandwich that's now only warm instead of piping hot. Oh well, you didn't like scalding hot cheese anyway.

3 hours later

You're laying on Zofies bed, Vikna having fallen asleep about half an hour ago if you had to guess. Her arm was draped across your chest, soft breaths coming from her along with purrs if you moved a bit. You give her hair a couple of soft strokes, causing her to purr a bit before you put your arms back to your sides. There's a reason you've been up. Getting yelled at by Nytro and nearly beat to death by your allies has had you thinking. What if you're the bad guy? There's a lot of evidence to support it, that being your relentless killing, bouts of anger, you even threatened to shoot your own mother. What kind of monster threatens to kill the woman who gave birth to him?

As you're thinking about all of this, you feel a few tears begin to well up in your eyes, your train of thought going back to all the people you've murdered. All the families you've torn apart in your quest to make the world a better place. Does the end justify the means, especially in a case like this? You'd do anything to give your friends a bright future, but killing so many people? What kind of man thinks that's okay? You sniffle a bit, thinking of how many families are going to grow up fatherless because of you. How many men never got the chance to experience what you are right now? They'll never know the love and touch of a woman ever again because you took it all away. None of them will ever be able to lay down in a nice warm bed or eat hot food and live in a home like you do. You take Viknas arm off you gently enough to not wake her, sliding yourself off the bed before walking out of the bedroom.

When you make it out the door, you grab your folded clothes, putting them on along with the belt and holster. When everything is on, you make your way over to the door, opening it up before stepping outside. The air was cold and crisp, your breath making steam as you exhale in the late night air. You're illuminated by the soft blue glow of the hallway lighting as you begin hearing shouting, screaming, gunfire, and foreign languages being shouted in your ear. You hop over the edge, landing on the ground with a loud clack as your boots hit the ground hard. More shouting comes from around you, making you jog before running away from it. The run turns into a full on sprint as you make your way out of the parking lot, passing a few people on a late night run or walking home from work.

The wind is howling in your ear as you're going much faster than any normal person, the sounds getting closer as your legs pump harder. People watch you run past as tears stream down your face, freezing your cheeks as you try to outrun the memories. The pounding of your boots sounds like thunder on the pavement as you pass more people, seeing them make way as you approach a crosswalk. The gunfire is getting closer to you, cracks snapping by your head as you duck down, seeing a group of people ahead of you. You're on them before you know it, causing you to skid to a halt and continue running off to the right of them.

You see visions of all the people you've taken down, all the men, women, and children who pointed a gun at you. It makes you shake your head, forcing those thoughts back into your head. Thoughts of being beaten by things you can't touch enter your mind in their stead, threatening your friends, family, and...her. You can't protect Vikna no matter what you do. You're completely helpless, a knight without his armor and sword, a soldier without his gun, a man without his strength.

“Failure, weakling, fatass, autist.” Begin swirling around your head. “Monster, murderer, psychopath, retard, impotent.”

“No...” You say, continuing to run away.

“Worthless, dead weight, racist, stupid, freak.” The words keep adding up.

“I can keep them safe!” You yell. “I CAN KEEP THEM SAFE!”

You feel your legs give out from under you and you begin rolling along the sidewalk, feeling the concrete bash against your bones as you slow to a stop. Your uniform is torn, skin exposed as you begin laying down on the sidewalk, curling up into a ball. You can't keep them safe. There's nothing you can do to ensure that no harm comes to Vikna. It's no use to keep trying anymore. Everything is a blur, sounds muffled as you hear voices all around you. All you can do is let it all out, bawling your eyes out as you lay on the ground, bleeding from scrapes on your elbows and palms. The stinging they produce is nothing compared to the pain you feel knowing there's things in this world you can't possibly protect Vikna from. You feel a stinging in your elbows and palms as you feel a cool feeling wash over them, pins and needles being the next thing you feel before nothing else.

A hand sets itself on your shoulder, which only serves to strengthen your desperate wails. There's nothing you can do, tears staining your torn BDU collar. You can't do it. You're too weak, too stupid, too incompetent...just not good enough. You feel a soft hand rub against your stubble, wiping away your tears as they clear your eyes gently. There's blue fur and a massive line of ice going down the side of the buildings as your cries die down, having cried yourself out. Your hearing comes back to you and sniffling that isn't your own fills your ears, causing you to look up. Vikna has your head in her lap, a quivering lip adorning her lips and wet streaks coming down from her eyes.

“W-why don't you ever talk to me?” She asks, wiping away her own tears. “You make me think everything's alright, but it's never alright.”

“My job isn't finished.” You reply with a sniffle. “You're not safe.”

“Shut up with that shit.” She says. “I'll never be completely safe. You know that just as well as I do. You also know that I couldn't be in better hands.”

“I'm not as strong as an SS, I'm not as fast as a blue guard, and I'm not as smart as a college kid. What does that make me? Even after all the shit I've done to myself, I can't compete with any of them.” You tell her. “I...I'm a failure.”

“You don't need to be the fastest or the strongest.” She says. “You feel like a failure because you think you have to do this alone. You think all the responsibility lies with you and it doesn't. We're in this together.”

“But, who will protect you?” You ask.

“Do you see the stuff on the side of those buildings?” She asks, pointing to the massive trail of ice. “I was following you the whole way here. I can keep myself safe and we can fight pretty much anything together. Remember when we saved the queen back in Siania? Remember how we completely destroyed the blue guard together?”

“Y-yeah.” You reply. “I remember. You froze the blue guard in place and I shot her mind control thing with my rifle.”

“We can do anything as a team.” She tells you. “I'm not helpless and neither is anybody else. Even Zofie is packing a gun. I know you want this stupid war to be over with, but you're going to have to bite the bullet and accept that you can't really do much.”

“You're right.” You say. “I'm sorry for this.”

“Jack, you can tell me anything. I'm always here for you, no matter what.” She says. “You can tell me anything and I'll listen, no matter what it is or how long you go on for.”

“I'm just really defensive about this kind of thing. You promise you'll never bring any of it up in an argument five years from now?” You ask.

“I promise.” She says, stroking your hair gently. “I know how that feels first hand. I wouldn't dare do that. Now get up, you ran about two miles and we need to get to sleep.”

You nod, getting up off the ground and helping Vikna up off her knees. You pick her up into a bridal carry and begin walking back, finally content with yourself.

The next day

You're doing sit ups on the carpet as Vikna watches the news, giving you her two cents every now and again. You've been going since 11 in the morning, now starting to feel the burn after 2 hours of sit ups. After a few more, you decide to stop and get off the floor. It was time to make something to eat. Before you could enter the kitchen, you hear a knock on the front door.

“You forgot to text me the code!” Zofie yells on the other side of the door.

You make your way over to the door and unlock it, watching it open up to Zofie and Dell.

“W-wait!” She yells, blocking the way inside. “I forgot to clean!”

“I think you're not remembering correctly.” You say, letting her inside.

She looks inside and sees a perfectly clean floor along with a clean kitchen and living room. After her look of shock wears off, she turns toward you and mouths “thank you” before smiling and turning back to Dell.

“I forgot. I cleaned it before I left for work yesterday.” She says. “Please, make yourself comfortable. I'll make us some lunch.”

You walk off to the bathroom, needing to relieve yourself after drinking so much water. The door closes and you take your place in front of the toilet, relieving yourself for a little bit before finishing. When you flush, you hear the distinct sound of a national alert going on outside. After you exit the bathroom, you see a national emergency alert come on the news.

“The following message is transmitted at the request of the Liertzian government. The old world district is now under siege from the terrorists from the Sianian planet. A shelter in place warning has been issued by the authorities and the militia has been called to arms.” It says. “Close all windows and lock all doors. Do not answer the door until the all clear has been given. This is not a drill.”

You look over to Zofie and Dell, who are both holding each other as Vikna looks back at you with worry in her eyes. You grip your hands together and walk out of the front door, hopping off the railing and down onto the parking lot. There's sirens sounding as people run for cover, soldiers making their way down the street as they still put on whatever armor and clothing they had for the occasion. You walk over to the hover truck you were given by Ayn, opening it up to reveal the one thing that made you feel invincible. When you step inside, the machine opens up the body suit for you, waiting for you to take off all but your underwear. When you've stripped, you make your way to the body suit, slipping inside before closing it up. The armor begins attaching itself to you when you step into the boots, feeling it pulling you every which way before presenting you with your helmet.

“Let's give 'em hell.” You say before looking over at something that caught your eye. “What?”

You see your scabbard sitting in the corner of the truck, having definitely not been there before. More weapons is definitely better than less, so you strap it around your back as your energy shields power up. When you don your helmet, you see someone moving toward you on the motion tracker, so you walk out of the truck and hop down. When you look down, you see Zofie, looking at you with an unamused face.

“I'm not fighting.” You tell her. “I'm defending. Get inside and grab your gun. If anyone comes knocking, ARA junior will tell me someone's coming.”

“I do not like being called ARA junior. I am a subsystem of ARA and that is what I wish to be called.” ARAs subsystem complains.

“Well...good.” Zofie says, walking back toward the stairs as you close the truck up and lock it.

“I will help make lunch if you need the help.” You tell her.

“Not in that thing you're not.” She says, pointing to your armor as you walk up the stairs with her. “Also, please don't jump off the balcony in that thing. It will probably crack the pavement and my land lord will kill me.”

You nod and turn toward her room, watching the door open as she looks back and blocks your way.

“Code please.” She says.

“Thirteen thirty seven.” You reply. “May I come in?”

“Okay.” She says, letting you through before turning into her room. “Dell, can you shoot?!”

“I-I don't know...” He says uncertainly. “I'm kind of opposed to shooting someone.”

“Well, having 2 abusive boyfriends and some time in Germany taught me that sometimes you need to be prepared to get violent.” She says, racking the shotgun once.

You hear a drawer open and she growls a bit, shutting the drawer with some force. She exits the room, shotgun in one hand and pistol in the other. She hands a pistol to Dell and he takes it, looking it over with a curious eye.

“Set the gun down until I can teach you how to use it.” You say, stepping toward him.

He does exactly that as Vikna turns the TV up, the news reporting on the troop movement coming toward the district. You walk over to Vikna, handing her your Kaltag pistol and a few mags for it. She looks up at you and you reach for your helmet release.

“I wouldn't do that. I can't talk to you without the helmet on.” ARA says.

“I just want to kiss my girlfriend.” You tell her. “It'll only be a few seconds.”

“I will never understand you organics and your unsanitary practices of swapping saliva. It's highly unsanitary.” She says.

“Maybe when Fluff allows you to feel love one of these days, you might understand then.” You tell her, taking the helmet off.

You give Vikna a kiss on the lips, lingering a bit before she pulls back, looking at the gun in her hands. You put the helmet back on and Vikna looks over at Zofie, as do you. She's crossing her arms, causing Vikna to blush and look away. You walk up to Dell and pick up the pistol Zofie had, watching as she walks over to the kitchen and pulls out some ingredients. You set it in his hand and get beside him, pointing the gun at the door.

“Finger off the trigger.” You tell him, pulling his finger out before ejecting the magazine and pulling the slide back. “Always keep your finger off the trigger until you're ready to shoot.”

“You know all that talk about armored goons busting into my shop?” Zofie asks, cutting pieces of bread and mixing various spices and fruits into some kind of apparatus. “Now instead of just my shop, it's my entire district.”

“Zofie, that's not fair.” You tell her.

“No, you know what's not fair? The fact that every time you come here, something happens.” She says. “Someone dies, gets hurt, or gets taken.”

“That's not my fault.” You tell her.

“Jack, ever since you and I met, I've always felt wary of you. I have an uncanny sense for danger and I saw it in you right away. You managed to lure me into a false sense of security by teaching me to play an instrument, saving me from a spaceport, and even taking my first time, but my point still stands. You're a dangerous person.” She says.

“Zofie, I just had a fit about this last night. I really don't need this right now.” You tell her.

“Well I don't need any more humans in my district!” She yells back, turning away from what she was making. “Guess neither of us is getting what we want today, are we?!”

“What the hell crawled up your ass and died?!” Vikna asks. “I texted you about this and everything! I told you to keep your bitching to yourself and you didn't listen to me!”

“You're the one who hated him for destroying a ship when it wasn't even his fault!” Zofie shoots back. “Shut your face cat!”

“Now you're doing the exact same thing you fucking hypocrite!” Vikna shouts. “Don't try and high road me when you're sitting in the fucking gutter!”

“Do you have any idea what I had to deal with back in that hell hole of a country?!” Zofie asks angrily. “I almost got raped and killed on two separate occasions because you two decided to go off and fuck in your apartment! You didn't even tell us you were going anywhere, you just left us both there!”

“Do you even know what we had to go through here?! Nytro anthroids and rapey big cats nearly took me off and had their way with me too!” She yells. “You act like just because you had a close encounter with rapists that you stand on any ground compared to me! Guess what? When you were still in high school dreaming of fucking Dell over here, I was fighting a WAR! I worked hard to get where I am today and I'm not about to let some dog with an attitude problem push me or my boyfriend around!”

“That's rich coming from the daddy's girl who sucked and fucked her way to the rank she's sitting at right now.” Zofie says, crossing her arms. “How many dicks have you taken to climb up the ladder? I bet it's in the twenties.”

“I didn't suck anyone off for rank you Germanic slut!” Vikna shouts violently. “I got to where I am by being an effective commander!”

“I bet you effectively commanded all those cocks into your mouth you dirty katze.” Zofie says with a look of disgust on her face. “I bet you didn't do anything the entire time you fought.”

“You don't know anything you fucking delinquent!” Vikna yells back. “I'll beat your ass!”

“I'd like to see you try!” Zofie says, raising the shotgun.

“BOTH OF YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP!” You scream at the top of your lungs, the voice echoing off the small room as both Zofie and Vikna shrink back.

You rip your gun out of Viknas hand, putting it on the magnetic holster as you make your way over to Zofie. You rip the weapon out of her hands with ease, unloading it quickly before letting the gun fall to the floor.

“If you ever raise a weapon to anyone in this room again, I don't care who the fuck you are, I will kick your ass.” You tell her, your voice wavering as disbelief and rage are barely contained. “That goes for you too Vikna.”

“Hey, I don't know if I can do this...” Dell says.

“Stay right the fuck where you are quarterback.” You tell him, not bothering look back as you point at him, your motion tracker picking him up trying to leave. “You're not pussying out until I say so.”

“O-okay.” He says, his dot moving back to where it was before you focus back on Zofie.

“You know that I can't control where the hell these people show up, but I can damn well control what happens to them when they get here. Unfortunately, I can't exactly do that without putting myself in danger, which isn't very high on my priority list, especially since Vikna doesn't want me to.” You tell her. “Quit bitching about false equivalencies before I break a promise.”

“Are you threatening me?” She asks.

“I already threatened you.” You reply. “I'm threatening to break a promise I made to Vikna. If you think I'd kill you over something as stupid as an argument, you're more paranoid than I am.”

“You just threatened to beat me.” She says, crossing her arms.

“Just like you threatened to kill Vikna.” You tell her. “I won't allow you two to kill each other, period. You don't have the balls and Vikna can't take the emotional toll of killing her friend.”

“Mister Jackson-”

“Not now ARA!” You yell.

“There are people at the door.” ARA continues.

You turn back rigidly, pulling Dell into the kitchen, which surprises both him and Zofie. You motion for Vikna to hide and she does. When you make it to the door, you open it, seeing a very surprised red dog with an AK staring back at you. Your eye twitches and you grab the AK, ripping it from his hand and chucking it like a stick before it clatters on the ground moments later.

“DO YOU HAVE ANY FUCKING IDEA HOW BAD YOUR TIMING IS?!” You scream. “YOU STUPID FUCKING SAND MONKEYS DON'T KNOW HOW THE FUCK THE WORLD WORKS, DO YOU?!”

You push him back out the door, closing and locking the door behind you. A stunned looking purple fox with a Tokarev points and fires, but it barely scratches your shields, prompting him to dump the whole mag in. You continue pushing him toward the stairs as the increasingly worried looking Tokarev fox pumps 8 more shots into your shield, which do nothing but piss you off more.

“SET THAT FUCKING GUN DOWN YOU STUPID TECHNICOLOR FUCK!” You scream, throwing the dog aside before making your way to the now scared shitless fox. “GIVE ME THAT PIECE!”

You rip the handgun out of his grasp, throwing it against the wall so hard it shatters. He puts his hands up in surrender, but you're not going to spare him a verbal thrashing.

“You stupid fucking assholes come and ruin everything! You blow up our buildings, kill our soldiers and Marines, kill our women and children, and burn our fucking homes!” You shout. “DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY FOR YOURSELF YOU SUBHUMAN TRASH?!”

“N-no!” He yells back.

“GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY SIGHT BEFORE I TURN YOU INTO A FURRY PRETZEL YOU GOD DAMN FAILURE! GO! GO! GO!” You shout, pointing down the stairs before turning toward the dog. “YOU TOO! GET DOWN THOSE STAIRS YOU RED TURD!”

They both make haste down the stairs and you look down the stairs, seeing a truck with a gun pointed at you, the gunner staring in disbelief. You turn on the loud speaker, watching the two hadjis run back to the truck.

“WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU LOOKING AT?!” You scream. “TRY IT AND SEE HOW FAR IT GETS YOU!”

The gun is immediately swiveled away from you, the truck shifting into gear and bailing out before you take a deep breath. You turn back toward the door to Zofie's room, typing in the code to unlock it before the door opens. Zofie is on the floor, loading the shotgun when you enter, closing the door behind you.

“Jack!” Vikna yells. “Are you hurt? We heard shots and thought you-”

You grab the shotgun from Zofie and rack the pump, pointing it at yourself and pulling the trigger.

BOOM

All three of them cover their ears as your shields deplete by a quarter, becoming visible as they flare up from the blast. You set the shotgun back on Zofie's lap and the horror on Viknas face is replaced by that of confusion.

“Does that answer your question?” You ask, annoyed.

“Y-you didn't have to shoot yourself!” She yells.

“Well, I did.” You tell her. “Get ready to blast anyone who comes through that door. I-”

Before you can finish the sentence, you hear a massive boom come from outside the apartment. It shakes the complex, screams coming from everyone as you grip your fists hard. When you turn back and open the door, you see a BMP down in the parking lot. You close the door behind you, locking it again before turning the loud speaker on.

“Didn't I tell you fucking assholes to beat it?!” You ask, more angry that they'd come back after you told them to fuck off than you are angry they blew up one of the apartments.

The turret begins slewing, traversing itself toward you as the door behind you opens.

“What the hell just...” Vikna says before looking down. “...happened? Oh my god, is that a-”

Before she can finish, it fires, time slowing to a crawl as the round sails at you with the speed of a football. You do the only thing you can think to do and go for an intercept, reaching for and catching the shell mid air as you move through what feels like molasses. The shell does its best to tear your arm off, but you hold fast, time going back to normal as the shell lays to rest in your hand. Vikna is speechless, looking up at the thing in your hand as the fuse is nearly touching her nose.

“D-did you just...” She asks, unable to finish.

You set the round down and look back at the APC, hearing the gears grind as it's shoved into reverse. You hop out of the balcony, using your thrusters to give you some extra distance before falling down on top of the massive machine. It rocks back and forth as you push the turret sideways, forcing the men inside to turn as you activate your energy sword. The shields drain to half as you slam the sword down halfway around the turret, beginning to cut around the front half of it. You hear screaming coming from inside as the blade is nearly all the way through, prompting you to grab it as the thin plate falls to rest on the gun breach.

“What the fuck?!” One of the men says as you throw the top of the BMP turret like a Frisbee.

“GET OUT OF THIS FUCKING APC!” You scream inside, pulling the two of them out and tossing them on the ground. “YOU TOO FUCKER! DON'T THINK I'D FORGET ABOUT YOU!”

The drivers hatch opens up and he pulls himself up, the robed man holding his hands up as he jumps down from the BMP. You make your way off the APC, walking up to the gunner and commander before grabbing them off the ground.

“Go on, git!” You yell. “Get out of here now!”

You let them go and they don't even hesitate, running for their lives as does the driver. When this is all said and done, you get on top of the BMP, trying to fit yourself into the drivers hatch before realizing the suit's too bulky. Oh well, you'll just make the hole bigger. When you begin cutting the opening a little wider, you hear the sounds of escalation coming down the street. The unmistakable sounds of a very wide track hitting the ground, which forces you to think fast. Hide or fight?

“Jack, there's a tank coming down the road!” Vikna shouts behind you. “It sees the other tank!”

You peer over the fence and see a definite T-72 bearing down on you.

“Fuck!” You yell, hopping on top of the turret and putting yourself down inside the BMP.

You look around the turret, finally finding the one piece you were looking for. A “Malyutka” missile. There wasn't enough distance to arm the missile against the tank, so you were going to have to throw it instead. Hopefully the safety fuse on it isn't working. When you hoist the missile up and out of the turret, the tank is turning itself toward you. You hop on the back of the APC, the tank stopping once the front of it is facing you. The gun begins elevating onto target, stopping when it reaches you. You wait for it to fire, but nothing happens. Instead, a man pops out of the turret, pistol in hand. He sees you cradling the Malyutka missile like a baby in your arms, smirking before prompting you to throw.

“Come on armored man! Throw it!” He says with a laugh. “Throw it at me!”

You nod, rearing back and chucking the missile at the front of the tank. It sails through the air, even beginning to spiral before hitting the front of the tank, not detonating. It slides down the front of the T-72 before hitting the ground, the front of the missile bent out of shape. The man in the commanders cupola begins laughing hysterically, pointing at you before pointing down at the missile. After a bit more laughing at your failure, he gives you a sarcastic salute before dropping back inside the tank. You failed. Your one and only shot at killing that tank failed. You sit back on the rear of the turret, the vehicle shaking a bit as you do. It's over for you. Everything you've ever worked for is over in seconds.

The gun readjusts, pointing directly at your center mass before you lower your head in shame. Just then, you hear metallic screeching, prompting you to look up. A massive ice column is pushing the tank up into the air, the engine revving before the tank begins to go vertical. You look down and see Vikna concentrating, the tank eventually being pushed to the tipping point. It falls back on the road, breaking it apart before the body of the tank is pushed upward by a massive explosion. The now burning hull of the tank rests on the ice as you look back down at Vikna, who lets out a sigh of relief.

“Guess we're even now.” She says, looking back at you. “What the hell was that though? Throwing a missile? Did you think it didn't have any sort of safety inter-”

As she says that, the missile on the ground ignites, shooting down the street before exploding seconds later. You nod and she shrugs, prompting you to get off the top of the APC.

“Thanks for the save.” You say, walking out toward the road.

When you look down it, you see men and women waving people into shops and apartments as men with rifles cover their retreat. Some of them are looking in your direction and one of them fires. It hits you in the chest and depletes your shields a bit, so you wave at him. He immediately realizes his mistake and lowers the rifle, waving back a bit. You turn back and Vikna shakes her head with disapproval.

“What?” You ask. “He was scared. Besides, if it was one of you, they probably would've killed you.”

“Are you going to help them or are you staying here?” She asks.

“I'm staying here, obviously.” You reply. “We took care of the threat.”

She looks a bit surprised before nodding, walking back while you get behind the BMP, pushing the massive hunk of metal along while you check in front of you periodically. The engine on it was still running, the driver having not put it in reverse at all before bailing down the street. When it's pushed into the middle of the parking lot, you hop back on top to finish the cut into the drivers compartment. You had places to be tonight.

1 month later

Vikna

You've been in a hotel for about a week now, Jack vanishing after you all went to sleep that night. He took the suit of armor with him, as well as all the weapons and ammo he had on him. There were reports all over Liertz of enemy strongholds being crushed by an unseen person, gunfire being the only thing that was heard before everything went quiet. Sometimes the terrorists were cut in half, sometimes they were shot full of holes from their own guns. In special occasions they'd have heads that were twisted backwards. You knew all of this was his doing, but he was moving around the country so quick that some attacks were almost a thousand miles apart from each other in the same day. It was insanity and you couldn't bear the thought of him getting shot and dying without you at least being near him to help.

You press call again, pulling your phone up to your ear and listening to the dial tone drone on. Something on the other side of the line picks up and you feel your heart skip a beat. What do you say? Is there anything to say? Before you could answer, the line goes dead again. You slam your head against the back of the bed.

“FUCK!” You scream. “I wasn't fast enough!”

You lay down on the bed and pull the pillows closer, dropping the phone on the other side as you bring the mass of fluff over to your side of the bed. Why did he leave you? Was it because of Zofie? Did you not give him enough love? What did you do to him? You turn on the holo-screen and tune it to the news, which was conveniently reporting on another one of the incidents. This one was in New Ganavard, the known stronghold of the terrorist cell on Serko, home to a front company nobody could incriminate. The camera is pointing at a large pile of rubble that looks like it used to be the head quarters building.

“We're here at the scene of a massive bomb attack on the supposed stronghold of the terrorist cell operating on Serko. It appeared that a large improvised explosive device, or IED was detonated at the base of the building in what could be considered a controlled detonation. The tower holding many people from a company that popped up earlier this year alongside the terrorist attacks on the three main Serkonian planets.” The reporter explains. “We still have yet to see the man or woman behind these attacks, but no civilian casualties have been reported yet. All of them were discovered to have ties with terrorist organizations originating on Siania.”

Just as he finishes the sentence, automatic fire begins spraying from the rubble, a large wolf standing easily at 8 feet tall rising from the rubble in an equally proportioned suit of armor.

“You infidels won't take me alive!” He yells angrily.

The camera is left on the ground before a green mass rushes past the reporters, jumping up the rubble as thrusters boost the jump. That was definitely him! He lands close to the massive wolf, drawing a sword in a quick and practiced motion before the anthro attempts to put his own weapon on target. Jack kicks the gun out of his hands and into the rubble, the weapon firing off a round as it hits the ground. The wolf strikes the sword from his grasp, causing Jack to just produce one from his gauntlet. He waits as the wolf throws a punch, attempting to cut the arm before being struck down by the wolf.

“Jack!” You yell instinctively.

He gets up in one fluid motion, rubble falling from where he fell. The wolf chuckles at this before the maneuvering jets pop out of Jack's back, spooling up as he leaps into the air. The wolf picks up a massive piece of stone and throws it at Jack, but he spins the jets and boosts off to the side.

“Is that Dekano Teksa?” A man asks as Jack hits the ground, another plasma sword erupting from his gauntlet.

Jack continues to move toward the man as you watch in horror, Dekano taking out a massive ball that could only be described as a hand grenade for giants. Jack sees him pull the pin and rushes him, ripping the massive thing out of his hands and tossing it as hard as he could. The thing went sailing before blowing up in mid air, Jack battling it out with the wolf once more. They throw punches, trade kicks, deflect stabs, and fight at a pace you just couldn't follow. It was almost like watching a sped up video. You get on the phone, scrolling through the contacts before finding one named Rei. When you dial the number, he immediately picks up.

“Hey Vikna, what's up?” He asks.

“I need a portal, right now!” You yell, watching as the massive wolf gets a solid hit in that knocks Jack off his feet. “To New Ganavard!”

“Okay, no need to yell.” He says, a portal appearing in front of your bed.

You waste no time, throwing yourself through the portal dressed in only a shirt and a short skirt. There's definitely fighting going on about a mile ahead, as people are screaming and running away from that area. You take a deep breath and materialize some ice, making it slant and raise you into the air, propelling you forward at increasing speed. The ice was cold against your bare feet, but you've learned to live with it through years of discipline and practice with the magic. A couple of men pop around the corner holding weapons Jack described as “AKMs” before opening fire on the crowd, prompting you to entrap the two men in ice. You proceed forward, hearing shouting and clangs, along with explosions and falling concrete.

When you turn the corner, you see the glowing parts of Jack's armor are now red, steam venting from his legs and back. Every punch he threw felt like an explosion, even from back here as electricity arced from various points on the suit. The wolf was faltering, his massive size being overcome by the brute force of the suit Jack wielded.

“I will not be killed by some fucking technicolor furry OC!” He shouts in a voice that's not his own. “I'm not going to raise my son in a world where you fucks rule the galaxy!”

He slams his fist down on the chest of the man, cracking the armor and the concrete underneath him.

“I will root out all of the Separationists in this country and crush it under my fucking boot!” He continues, punching the man again with a bit more vigor. “I won't stop until all of you are fucking DEAD!”

Jack rears back for one final punch, bringing it down so hard that he punches through the chest of the wolf. When he brings his hand back up, a still beating heart is in his palm. He crushes it with his hand and an energy sword pops out of his gauntlet, prompting him to make a clean slice along his neck, decapitating the man and completely overkilling him. Jack kicks him down the mountain of rubble, standing there for a bit before sitting down and putting his elbows on his knees. He supports his head on his arms before the glowing bits go back to their normal white color, steam ceasing to vent from his suit. You make your way over to him. His armor has dents, bullet holes, scorches, and cracks all over. When you get within about 25 yards of him, he looks up and sees you coming toward him.

“Don't come any closer citizen.” He says. “It's dangerous up here.”

“J-”

“Don't say any more.” He says, pointing back toward the camera. “There could still be men around who will hear you.”

His style of speaking is entirely different. He takes out some paper and begins scribbling into it with a pen, handing the paper over to you while taking care not to show the printed side to the camera. It says “Portal to Tower” and you nod, getting on the phone. Rei picks up immediately after.

“Did you get where you needed to go?” He asks.

“I need another portal.” You reply very quietly. “To the Tower.”

“Okay, I'll get one going really quick.” He says, opening one up in front of the camera. “I see you-holy shit!”

He hangs up and looks through the portal, tempted to come out before you stop him. He nods, walking back slowly as Jack rises. He walks into the portal and you hop inside too, the gate closing off behind you. He looks you up and down and blushes a bit, looking away for a bit. When he looks at Jack, his expression and body language changes to that of worry.

“What happened?” He asks.

“I killed.” Is all he says before walking out of the room, the door opening and closing behind him.

“What did he do?” Rei asks.

“He took down an entire terrorist cell by himself.” You reply. “Terrorists attacked a month ago and he left us without telling anyone where he was going.”

“The entire Liertzian terrorist cell?” He asks.

“Yes.” You reply.

“By himself?” He asks.

“Yes.” You reply again.

“Jesus...” Rei says. “I knew it was capable, but that suit must be something else.”

“I need to go and check on him.” You say, making your way out of his room. “Then we're going back to Germany so he can fly back to our house.”

“Your house?” He asks.

“I'm not going to subject him to any more of this.” You say, stopping without turning around. “Every time he's here, he hurts or kills someone while being hurt himself. I'm done, we're done, we're not coming back until Siania is recaptured.”

“That's not your decision to make!” He yells angrily.

“You seem to forget that I'm not your pet project anymore.” You tell him. “I'm free to do whatever I want.”

“Vikna, you're necessary to this whole thing moving forward!” He yells.

“Somehow, I highly doubt that.” You say, making your way toward the door.

The door opens in front of you and you see Jack walk in, no longer clad in his armor. He had what he called a beard and his arms looked burnt. However, the thing that caught your eye was his eyes. They were so empty and devoid of any life that he almost looked dead. When he turns to face you, there's a smile, but it's an empty one. Almost a formality. When he turns back to Rei, and moves forward, he speaks in a manner that chills you to the bone.

“What do you need me to do now?” He asks robotically.

“I...” He says, looking down. “I think you can take a break.”

He pops off a salute and turns back, walking out the door. You make sure not to lose him this time, running off after him.

30 minutes later

You and Jack are both walking out of the med bay, his arms wrapped in burn gel bandages as well as his legs and chest. The suit burned him from the heat and it's currently being reconstructed on the mount he uses to put it on and take it off. The gel layer inside that protects him from shock and trauma was completely compromised by the reactor overload he used to defeat the wolf, not to mention he pushed his bones to their limit. Other than providing this information to the doctor, he hasn't spoke since. When you round the corner, you see ARA talking to a man who was more than likely hitting on her. Jack sees it too and begins walking ahead, fists clenched so hard they're ripping the bandages.

“Jack, no!” You yell, stopping him dead in his tracks.

The dog turns around, looking up and seeing Jack staring at him. You walk in front of Jack and see his jaw is clenched so hard his head is shaking. The dog has his tail between his legs, backing away from him as ARA looks on in confusion. She then looks up at Jack and raises her eyebrows, seeming to understand why the dog was so afraid. The man runs away as fast as his legs could carry him, the only thing keeping him from certain death being you.

“I appreciate your compliments!” ARA yells after him before turning back to Jack. “Thank you for your assistance.”

He doesn't respond, continuing to watch the corner where the dog ran off to. ARA begins to look around the room, confused.

“Thank you for your assistance.” She repeats.

This snaps him out of whatever he was in and he looks down at her, nodding.

“No problem junior.” He says.

“Junior?” She asks.

He walks off and you follow after, not giving ARA an explanation. You hear her follow alongside you, eager to know what he means by this.

2 hours later

After you finally convinced him to come with you to your old room, he sat down and had agreed non-verbally to allow you to see what he had been doing for the past month now. He started at around 2 weeks ago, him entering a building before he hits play. He walks into the building and two men with guns approach him, putting their hands up.

“You can't be here buddy.” One of them says.

Jack then proceeds to grab the neck of the one who spoke to him, crushing it without mercy as music begins to play. It wasn't anything too special, but it was calm and soothing, unlike what he was doing to these people. It was a mix of a string instrument and brass instruments as ARA comes on the speakers.

“2 men down.” She says. “3 coming from the right hand door.”

The voice was crystal clear, almost like it was speaking directly to his brain. Then again, you've never used an SS neural implant before, so it very well could be. He picks up the guns from the ground and puts on one of their carriers, checking the magazine before shoving it back in. The calming melody continues to play as the doors open and Jack immediately mows the three men down, not even checking to see if they were hostile or not. Then again, his reflexes were so advanced that he probably identified them as hostile before you even recognized they were there. When they were dead, his focus shifted to what you thought was a LIDAR display.

“Motion tracker sees one man approaching behind. I'm picking up slight distortions behind you too.” ARA says, prompting him to turn around.

He immediately sprays the area, the cloaking field deactivating as soon as it's hit. It was an Infiltrator suit. He doesn't pause and keeps moving, making his way into the hallway before gunfire begins to deplete his shields. He retreats back behind cover and takes out a grenade, tossing it inside before it explodes. Jack uses this distraction to move in, taking out one, two, three, four anthros before scanning for more.

“That's 9.” ARA says. “Your total is 147.”

He nods in acknowledgment, continuing upstairs before he stops the video.

“I was mute for a week.” He says. “I killed every single man who raised a gun to me. All the women were disabled and the children were disarmed. ARA helped me more times than I can count, telling me where to break bones, how to efficiently incapacitate someone with electricity, and generally keeping an eye on my back.”

“You killed for a month straight?” You ask.

“Yes.” He replies. “Liertz no longer has an insurgency problem.”

“What about their families?” You ask. “Isn't that why insurgencies continue to grow? Their family or friends get involved when they die for a cause?”

“They tried. When they did, I went back and killed them too. I scarred the women and children for life so they would never pick up a gun again.” He replies. “I'm not proud of it, but I had to do it to ensure nobody would fight for that cause ever again.”

“Y-you scarred women and children?” You ask.

“I just said that!” He yells back reflexively. “I-I didn't want to...”

You're startled by how loud he yells, flinching a bit before he tries to get up. You put a hand on his, pulling him back down on the couch. You don't want him running off again. God knows where he'd go.

“It appears I uploaded a combat protocol alongside my AI.” ARA says. “I was hoping it would help mister Jackson better fight threats, but it appears these protocols were taxing on his mental health.”

You feel a twinge of anger enter your mind, but quickly dismiss it. She thinks purely logically unless programmed not to. You put a hand on Jack's face, stroking the facial hair he'd grown. It was almost an inch long and matted down from being inside a helmet. He pushes his face up against your hand before deciding to just pull you into an embrace. Jack hasn't even touched anything with his own skin in a month. You can't imagine how good it must feel to touch the soft fur of a woman, if only with his face.

“I'm sorry.” He says. “If I told you what I was doing, you would've said no.”

“Yes, I would have.” You tell him sternly. “I was so worried about you. I thought you were going to die. I...I thought we'd never be together again.”

“I won't do something like that again.” He says. “Not if I have a choice.”

“What was that about a son?” You ask, remembering what he said.

You feel his face heat up, not needing to look to know he was blushing. This makes you smile, rubbing your cheek against his. You've been wanting this for a long time now. Every time you do it, you've been hoping the test comes back positive, but it hasn't because of the incompatibility of your eggs and his sperm. You were so tempted to spike your drink with fertility medication, but you held back because neither of you were ready for that just yet. You had to wait.

“I don't want our kid to grow up in a world where those assholes are bombing buildings, killing innocent people, and taking over countries. I want him to be happy and safe, not afraid and in danger.” He replies. “That's why I didn't stop until they were all dead.”

“Not to interrupt, but I would appreciate it if you two would not begin mating in my presence.” ARA says. “I also wish to inquire as to how you killed all of those people.”

“ARA!” You yell back at her. “That's absolutely not okay to ask!”

“It's okay.” He says. “Are you asking what methods I used or how I managed to kill so many?”

“The latter.” ARA replies.

“I had help from Liertzian special forces and sympathizers. They gave me weapons, ammo, and people. Most of those people are dead, but they definitely saved my rear from a grim end more times than I care to count.” He says, his words laced with sadness. “They didn't die in vane. I got that bastard who was leading them. I can sleep easy now that Zofie and Dell are safe to raise a kid together. Speaking of which, I didn't drive them apart, did I?”

“No, you actually strengthened their relationship.” You reply. “I think they said something about trial by fire, but I was so angry that I left before I could hear the rest.”

He nods and another video begins playing, which seems to confuse him. He lets go of you and looks over at the screen, watching it as you watch him.

“You have the location?” Jack asks on the holo-screen.

“I do.” A distinctly female voice replies, drawing your attention away from him.

You look up and see a rather petite looking hyena looking up at him, holding a tablet. Jack's fingers then go up to his helmet and he taps a button, causing something to click.

“Vents are closed?” He asks.

“Affirmative. Direct communication shutters are closed.” ARA replies.

“Can you block out some of her, uh, assets for me?” He asks. “I've been cooped up in this armored chastity suit for 3 weeks now and I feel I might be unfaithful if she keeps flaunting herself like this.”

A censorship grid then arises around the tablet.

“Assets censored.” ARA says cheerfully.

“I guess I uploaded a very naive version of myself.” The real ARA says. “Either that or I was being a smartass.”

“I mean her figure, junior.” He corrects. “Censor her ass and tits.”

“I see. Thank you for clarifying.” ARA junior says.

The censorship pixels now apply to her ass and tits instead, leaving the documents untouched.

“Is there a reason you're so silent?” The woman asks, beginning to get impatient.

He taps the front of his helmet and a click is heard again.

“Sorry, I was trying to scratch my nose and forgot I had a helmet on.” He lies. “It happens more often than you think.”

“Well, can you try not to stare at me when talking?” She asks. “If you're going to stare though...”

Jack immediately turns around, not interested in what she was selling.

“Please, I just want the intel and I'll leave.” He says. “I can't take this suit off.”

“Why, are you scared of the little hyena girl dominating you, jolly green giant?” She asks.

“No, I literally can't take the suit off. It requires special tools to take even one of the plates off.” He replies. “Besides, I'm already seeing someone.”

“Why is this playing?!” Real Jack asks in a panic. “I had this set to private!”

You giggle at his frustration, seeing ARA manipulating the holo-screen with a devious smirk on her face. Jack on screen had turned away by now, unable to look at her.

“Mister Jackson, I am detecting increased heart rate and blood flow to the face. Are you hurt?” ARA junior asks.

“Seeing someone?” The hyena on screen asks. “Who could be more important than this intel?”

He looks back toward the hyena and the pixelation color has changed. She had definitely taken off her clothes. One of the hyenas in the room was definitely excited, but he walked out of the room with his tail between his legs. He knew his place in the pack. When the hyena left, the female and him were the only ones in the room.

“Well, out with it or off with it.” She says.

“My fiance.” He replies, making your heart flutter. “The most beautiful person I've ever met. She's smart, funny, cute, and just about perfect in every way. If I were to do something like this with you, even if nobody would ever see it, I'd never be able to live with myself. I love her too much to let myself do this, even for the location of one of the head honcho's lieutenants.”

Flashes of you begin popping in and out of the memory in a display you've never seen before. This has never happened from anyone with neural implants, but his neural implants were of alien design converted to be used with Kaltag equipment.

“I see.” She says, smiling before pulling up her pants and putting on her bra. “You'll make a great husband, I'm sure of it.”

She hands him the documents and he takes them tentatively.

“Thank you.” He tells her. “I won't forget this.”

“I'm sure you won't.” She says. “Go and kill some, as you say, 'hadjis' for me.”

The video ends and Jack is covering his face, his entire head beet red.

“I'm dead.” He says. “I'm so dead.”

“Hey, I think you need a shower.” You tell him. “ARA, go back to your post. I'm going to take a shower with my fiance.”

He takes his face out of his hands and looks back at you. ARA removes herself from the room and you smile.

“Lock the door please.” You say aloud, hearing the distinct click of the door locking. “I'm sure it's been a while.”

“I haven't showered in a month. Yeah, it's been a little while.” He says.

“Oh, you naive little boy.” You tell him with a smirk. “Go and take a shower, I'll be right with you.”

He nods, getting up and walking to the bathroom. When the door closes behind him, you lay back against the couch, feeling yourself get sopping wet. His scent was driving you mad and it took every ounce of discipline not to go down on him immediately. You still were, of course, but you had to wait a bit longer. At least for him to have cleaned himself off a bit. You hear the shower turn on and begin undressing yourself, tossing your shirt down on the floor as well as the little skirt you were wearing. There wasn't anything underneath, so all you had left was your bra. When that's off, you begin groping yourself, imagining what he's going to do to you in the shower.

Everything was so sensitive, causing your arousal to spike even more. You rub your little button between your legs, an electric feeling going up your spine as you let out a girly moan. You wanted him inside you right now, but you had to get yourself nice and ready first. It wouldn't be fair if he had to go in dry.

“F-fuck.” You say reflexively. “Th-that's good.”

Your tail begins wrapping itself around your legs, the familiar feeling of an orgasm encroaching further onto you. The pleasure of it all causes your legs to buckle and you fall to the floor, a moaning and squealing mess as you drive your other hand into your now completely drenched entrance. You were ready, but you couldn't stop yourself. You had to finish, with or without him. It was so close, you're so excited and your efforts are rewarded by a body wracking orgasm you only ever get from being fucked. Your entire body writhes in pleasure, continuing to softly stroke your clit as aftershocks take you for a ride. It eventually subsides, allowing you to get yourself off the floor and look at the wet spot you created. You'd have to get everything steam cleaned now.

When you make your way inside the bathroom, you hear the humming stop as Jack peaks out of the sliding plasti-glass. He blushes a bit when he sees you, causing you to do the same in response.

“Sorry I couldn't wait.” You say, making your way toward the shower. “I just needed to do it.”

“Well I needed this shower-”

“Shut up, this isn't just a shower.” You say, getting frustrated. “I'm going to fuck you raw until I drain your balls.”

“O-oh...” He says, letting you in. “I...thought I heard you out there.”

You enter the shower and your fur immediately begins getting wet down. It felt uncomfortable at first, but the warmth of the water soon calmed your base instinct of disliking being wet. When you look him up and down, you see the nanite bandages have done their job, repairing the burns with haste. He had some bruises and a couple scratches, but his armor appeared to have done its job. You bend yourself over, facing your ass toward him before you can almost feel how erect he gets. It makes you feel great about yourself that you can make him hard just by turning around and presenting yourself. It's very flattering. You spread your butt a bit and look back at him, confirming your suspicions. He's hard as a rock.

“I don't know how long I'll last.” He tells you. “Sorry if I blow early.”

“I'm so sensitive right now that I won't last more than a minute.” You tell him. “Don't worry, I won't hold back.”

He nods and grabs your ass, kneading it a bit before pressing his cock up against your entrance. Your lip quivers in anticipation, already soaking wet again as your juices mixed with the water to make a sort of diluted lubrication that felt amazing for you both. He finally breaks through your lips and you let out a reactionary moan, the pleasure making its way up your body as you shiver with delight. He's already twitching inside you causing you to suppress a moan. Making noise only makes him cum faster. The goal was to make him feel good, not cum instantly. He usually doesn't really feel good if you don't cum too, and he's learned when you fake an orgasm too.

“Y-you, mmf, like this?” You ask, wrapping your tail around his waist.

“Y-y-ah-yes.” He replies, moving in and out slowly. “I-I want to go faster.”

“Then go faster.” You tell him. “I won't stop you.”

The change in pace is immediate, going from a slow fuck to a pretty decent speed in less than a second. It was almost desperate in a way. You begin assisting him, no longer having the strength to look back and instead look at the metallic floor of the shower. The muffled slapping noise coming from you both makes it even hotter as you near an orgasm of your own. You begin moaning to make him cum faster, which he responds by twitching inside of you. It starts to snowball every time it happens, making him thrust and twitch faster with every moan.

“T-this is so hot!” You say before moaning and whining again. “S-so good!”

He keeps going faster and harder, feeling like he was going to break you. The world has ceased to exist as you and him become one with each other. He squeezes you tight and you're getting close. Just a little more. He grabs you by the chest and begins groping you, which makes you squeal with delight. This was just enough to push you over the edge, your body and folds convulsing as he hilts inside you, hot sticky ropes of cum penetrating into your womb. It made you cum even harder, knowing that there's a chance that you might be knocked up. With one final spurt, he pulls out, cum leaking down onto the shower floor before you feel yourself begin to slip. Jack catches you, holding you up with his arms. You continue to spasm and twitch, the orgasmic bliss of an after shock taking over as he pulls you into an embrace. You hang there loosely, unable to move while feeling equal parts restrained and held lovingly.

“Thank you.” He says. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too, but I don't think your balls are-f-fuck-drained yet.” You tell him before standing on your own two feet.

“O-oh...” He says, feeling his dick begin hardening between your legs.

“F-fuck, you really are something special.” You tell him, not even 5 minutes having passed since you both came. “Glad I got you first~.”

“D-don't say that. I-I chose you because I love you.” He tells you shakily, beginning to thrust a bit.

“T-then what was th-that thing with Z-Zofie?” You ask.

“I-I f-fuck. I d-didn't know she h-had feelings for m-me.” He replies, continuing to thrust before you stop him.

You begin rubbing yourself along the length of his shaft, hearing him groan before pulling back from him.

“Lay back for this one.” You tell him. “I want you to enjoy this.”

He nods, laying himself down carefully in the relatively confined space. When he's down on the ground, you position yourself over him and slide down on his cock. You feel him twitch and a bit of leftover cum spurts inside, causing you to shiver and lose your footing. You fall forward on him and can't bring yourself up, so you begin moving your hips while laying on top of him. That is until he grabs your hips and begins moving for you. He thrusts you up and down bringing his lips to yours as he begins to kiss you, both of you moaning into each others mouths. He was using you like his own personal sex doll and it made you feel so good. It didn't take long before he blows another, slightly smaller load inside while it coats your womb in more of his spunk.

“I think I'm done.” Jack says, laying back as more spurts of his man milk pump into you. “My dick hurts.”

You nod, pulling him into an embrace before getting off of him. Time to actually clean yourselves up.

Fluff

You're sitting at your desk, doing even more work. You spent more time figuring out how to fix everything in this world than you do making art in your own. You've started running low on money and are probably going to go bankrupt if you can't figure out what to do. Fuck getting a regular job. Sure, you'd make money, but you wouldn't enjoy it as much as making art for the internet. You lay your head down on the table, the feathers on your head sliding across as you try and think what to do.

“Mister Rei?” ARA asks. “Are you alright?”

“I'm fine ARA.” You reply. “I'm just trying to figure out what I'm supposed to do now. What are you doing here?”

“I was told to leave by miss Vikna. She said that she was going to take a shower with mister Jackson, but I highly doubt that's all they're doing.” She says. “Oh well, it does not matter to me. She did not try to drag me in and I am in no position to judge who she spends her time with.”

“I could've deduced what was happening if you had just said they were taking a shower together.” You say, kind of creeped out she would say something like that. “Wait, maybe...”

You could ask Jack. He said he'd be willing to help if you ever got yourself in a bind. Hell, he donated the top amount to your donations for 5 months. Maybe now that he has some money he could help you out? No, that's a scummy thing to do. Asking friends for money is the worst thing you could do, especially with what he's been doing for you the past month. He took out an entire insurgency by himself! What more could you ask for?

“Maybe what?” ARA asks.

“Oh, sorry. Just talking to myself.” You reply.

“This is not usually something you do. Are you stressed out?” She asks. “I know a few massages that might help.”

“No, I'm just trying to figure out how to make more money in my own world. I've been struggling since I can't find the will to draw you girls any more. Everybody loves you and I've been making up excuses, but I think that since I discovered this place, I just can't draw you all any more.” You reply. “I'm going to lose my house at this rate.”

“Have you tried asking mister Jackson for money? He has quite a bit and I'm sure he'd be willing to help.” ARA says.

“No, I couldn't do that!” You tell her. “He's been too good to me.”

“Come with me.” She says. “You need a break.”

You sigh, getting up and following ARA off to wherever she's going to take you.

30 minutes later

You finally reach the living quarters deck, passing by a few rooms before reaching a specific room. You remember one of your girls used to live here, but you couldn't remember which one. ARA tries to walk into the door, but it doesn't open, leading to her smacking into the door with considerable force. She stumbles back and brings her hand up, knocking on the door.

“Coming!” Vikna yells on the other side with some excitement.

She answers the door dressed in only a shirt and panties, which makes you blush a bit.

“Yes?” She asks before looking up at you.

“Mister Rei has a question for mister Jackson.” She says.

“W-what?!” You ask.

“Jack! Rei has a question for you!” Vikna yells back.

“Alright, just let me dry myself off!” He yells from inside the bathroom. “You hogged the drying ring and I have to use towels!”

He steps out a moment later, towel around his waist and an out of place beard on his face.

“What's up Fluff?” He asks.

“I...just wanted to ask how you're doing!” You say nervously.

“I'm doing fine thanks to Vikna.” He says, rubbing her head with one hand and holding his towel in place with the other.

“Negative, that is not the question he was going to-”

“ARA!” You yell, interrupting her.

“No, let her talk.” He tells you. “I'm curious now.”

“Mister Rei wanted to ask for financial aide, but feels hesitant because you've done many good deeds for him.” ARA says. “He is in a bind right now because his artwork is suffering.”

“I see.” He says, looking back at you. “Is that true?”

You look down at the floor and nod.

“Yeah, it's true.” You say, defeated.

“How much you need?” He asks.

You look back up and see him walking off to his pants with Vikna looking back with a raised eyebrow. He picks a wallet out of them and takes out a wad of money, counting through crinkled dollar bills.

“I have about a thousand right here, but I can go back and give you some gold to trade in instead.” He says.

“What?” Vikna asks.

“Really?” You ask.

“Yeah, what do you need?” He asks, handing you the money. “Just toss it through a portal or something.”

“A-are you being for real?” You ask with a bit stutter.

“I am a hundred percent for real, now give me a number. 2 or 3 grand?” He asks. “How much is the payment?”

“Why are you doing this?” You ask, feeling a bit weak in the knees. “After I put you through all that, why?”

“First, you had no choice.” He says, checking around his wallet and pulling out another hundred from behind the drivers license. “There it is. Always good to keep some money behind your license. Never know when you could get robbed.”

“What's the second reason?” You ask, needing to support yourself against the doorway.

You manage to make it look natural enough to spoof ARA, but it won't last much longer if he keeps this up. It feels like he's weighing down on you with...kindness. It felt so undeserved.

“It sucks, doesn't it?” He asks. “The feeling of being given everything you wanted, that is. It weighs down heavy on you.”

“You knew?” You ask in return.

“Of course I know. I felt the exact same way when you let Vikna come with me to my house for 7 months or so.” He replies. “Knees weak, arms heavy, something about spaghetti. Come on, sit down before you fall to your knees like a chump.”

He walks to the door and lets you put an arm around his neck, him helping you to the couch before setting you down. He was watching a memory of him singing karaoke on some small TV set. Vikna was singing along with him, not sounding too bad either. Wait a second, is she singing dancing queen?! That's so cute!

“Should hear her sing more often. She's not too bad.” Jack said.

“What about the second reason?” You ask him, remembering what he just said.

He sits down next to Vikna and pulls her close to him, rubbing under her chin as you begin hearing her purr.

“Already gave you the second reason. It's her.” He replies. “She's more than I could've ever asked for.”

“Stop flattering me. I'm only being nice because of the afterglow.” Vikna says, trying her best to be tough.

“Sure you are babe.” He says, kissing the top of her head before she begins giggling.

“Not in front of god!” She yells playfully. “So embarrassing!”

“There's another reason though.” Jack says, his mood dampening a bit.

“Really, what is it?” You ask.

“I don't want you making the same mistake I did.” He replies. “I was low on cash, the VA was threatening to cut my pay and I went active to fight in Iran.”

“You fought in Iran?” You ask.

“I did. They...gave me a medal for it.” He says, holding Vikna less to tease her and more to comfort himself. “I don't want you making the same mistake. Doing something you regret for money, that is. I know you said you wanted to go military for a while now, but all I can say is don't do it. I don't want to see myself in you when I look into your eyes. It would break me. They'd eat you alive on post.”

“Well, maybe I could draw...porn of ARA. I already sort of do that.” You tell him. “Maybe I could do that to support myself.”

“No, don't.” He says. “Don't compromise your own beliefs for money. I'm willing to give you as much as you need so you don't have to do this. Please, just don't ruin ARA.”

“I agree. I do not wish to partake in sexual activities or be portrayed as doing such.” ARA says from the doorway. “I...I am not programmed to be above begging.”

You look back down at Vikna and see her shaking her head.

“I don't want ARA getting involved in that.” She says. “I don't think I could live with myself if she was involved in something like that. The only two ways she'd ever do anything like that are if she was raped or an artificial capacity tester was used, which were outlawed for Apex units last year at Warning's request.”

You shiver at the mention of that, having gone dangerously close to doing something similar a year ago. The fact that you were willing to whore your char-...your friend out for money made you sick.

“Don't worry ARA, I'm sure it's a very last resort.” Jack tells ARA before looking back at you. “You still haven't given me a number.”

“It doesn't matter because this war is going to take years. The longer we wait, the longer it will take.” You tell him.

“Ah! But that's where you're wrong!” He says, getting off the couch. “I had a talk with an air force general and he said that your world was invading ours.”

“What?!” You ask, honestly surprised by this. “How?!”

“Somebody else has a portal device.” You tell him. “Someone on Siania. How do you think they've been getting and producing old Soviet tanks?”

“I haven't teleported anything like that to Siania, ever.” You reply. “How though? Only I was able to figure out how to make a portal system.”

“Do you think think their only goal when they attacked the Tower the first time was to cause terror? They wouldn't waste that many lives on something as fruitless as terror. They stole plans and built their own system.” He says. “They've got someone smart behind them.”

“This doesn't tell me why I'm wrong.” You say. “How are we going to win against them?”

“By bringing the US into this war.” He replies with a smile.

“WHAT?!” You ask. “You're fucking insane if you think they'll agree to this!”

“I may be insane, but I know that they hate these fuckers just as much as we do. Terrorism and communism are Americas biggest enemies right now and a combination of the two on Siania makes Lady Liberty very angry.” He says. “If an old, crotchety air force general is angry enough at them to not kick my ass for bringing a rocket launcher into Germany, guess what the rest of the brass thinks of them?”

“That kind of makes sense.” You say, his weird way of explaining it not making much sense.

“What I mean is, they want these assholes gone as much as you and I do.” He tells you. “Men have died to these scumbags and we want revenge.”

“That makes a lot more sense.” You say. “How are you going to bring an entire country into this war though?”

“By using that medal from Iran to get an audience. If that fails, well, I think you know what we have to do.” He says. “Teleport in and force him to listen.”

“I guess this could work. How are you going to rally so many?” You ask.

“I think Dick will understand what we're trying to do. He hates them as much as I do.” He replies. “Are you going to give me a number or are you going to keep deflecting all day?”

“I don't want to give you a number.” You reply.

“Why?” He asks. “Do you think I don't have enough money?”

“Because I know you'll give it to me.” You reply. “The last time you gave me money, you ran into a bit of a dip.”

“It's nothing dude. I have so much god damn money I don't know what to do with it.” He says. “I think I still have some bars of that gold left. You can take one and keep yourself going for a while.”

“I...” You say, looking down at the floor. “I don't know...”

“Come on man. Open a portal to my garage.” He says. “I'll cut a piece off if you don't want the whole thing.”

“I couldn't...”

“Dammit, let me help you!” He yells, having lost his patience. “I've got shit to do, Dick wants to go home, I need to get the plane back to my airport, and I need to put this suit back before someone figures out how to spoof the security!”

“If I send you both back, you'll never come back.” You tell him. “Vikna said she wouldn't come back until the war was over and I guess you share the same sentiment.”

“What?” He asks, continuing to rub Vikna gently. “I'm only going back so I can finish up everything that needs to be finished back home.”

“H-hey!” Vikna yells. “I only said that because I thought he needed more time away.”

“I'll let you go if you promise to come back within a month your time.” You tell Jack. “If you don't come back before then I'm going to be very sad.”

“Alright, I'll be back in a month sharp.” He replies. “Mind if I take anyone else along?”

“I don't mind, as long as you only take one. I saw that plane and I know how much fuel you had to load it down with to cross the Atlantic.” You reply. “No more than a month to get everything done, alright?”

“You got it.” He replies. “Give me your address so I can send you the money. It should be enough to get you through a year if you don't blow it all at once.”

You nod, giving him your address before he cocks his head.

“You live there?” He asks. “If I'd known I would've-”

“Jack!” You yell. “Just call whoever you need to call and bring them along. It's December over there, so pack warm.”

He nods, tapping his ear piece before getting on the phone.

3 hours later

Jack

You make it to the airport, flashing your ID as the guard lets you through the gate. Vikna and Ayn follow close behind, snow crunching under your feet. When you reach your plane, it's coated in snow, but it will all blow off when you start the plane. You reach the aircraft and take out the keys, brushing snow off and opening the locks on the plane as Vikna and Ayn step inside. Ayn has to move a couple fuel bladders while Vikna sits up front next you.

“It's so cold!” Ayn says. “I'm freezing and I'm layered down with 2 coats.”

“Aw, is the desert doxy getting a little cold?” Vikna asks.

“Y-yes, I'm very cold.” Ayn says, beginning to shiver. “F-fuck, please turn on the heat!”

You finish your pre startup and start the plane, the noise from the engine raising the volume inside the cockpit dramatically. You motion to the two specially made headphones for Ayn and Vikna, having bought them back in the states. They both put them on and you put a pair of your own on as well.

“Check, check. Can you both hear me?” You ask.

“I can hear you.” Vikna replies.

“I hear you loud and clear s-sweetie.” Ayn replies as well, shivering audibly. “H-how long will the flight take?”

“A couple days.” You reply. “If we keep in the air with minimal fuel and rest stops.”

“How will we g-go to the bathroom?” She asks.

“Piss in a bottle.” You reply. “Hope your aim is good.”

You laugh before getting permission to taxi, the aircraft breaking loose from the ice before you turn on all of your anti-ice equipment.

“I-is the engine warm enough to turn on the heater yet?” Ayn asks. “I'm very c-c-cold back here.”

You look at the engine temperature and turn the heater on, removing your coat to reveal a sweat shirt. When you're at the end of the runway, you request takeoff and are granted permission, taxiing onto the runway. You push the throttle forward to takeoff and the plane begins moving down the runway, engine noise drowning out anything and everything. When your wheels are off the ground, you raise the gear, streamlining the aircraft as you report your intentions. ATC approves and you continue your climb, pulling the throttle back a bit.

“May not be a shuttle, but it's the closest thing we have here on earth.” You say, letting the airplane gain altitude before leveling off.

“How long before we land again for fuel?” She asks.

“About one and a half hours.” You tell her. “We have enough fuel to get to Amsterdam before I have to refuel everything in the back. Maybe we'll stop by my birthplace on the way back.”

“Where's that?” She asks.

“Dublin is about 650 miles from where we are.” You reply. “Bunch of drunk Irish bastards live there.”

“Oh!” Ayn says. “Uh, Jack, your sword just fell on my lap.”

“I think it likes you.” You tell her. “Just set it on the floor if it's still in the scabbard.”

The plane begins to shake and Vikna grabs hold of the seat. The shaking was incredibly violent, pushing you against your seat belt as you do your damnedest to straighten it out.

“What's that?!” Ayn asks, full of worry.

“Just a bit of turbulence. Nothing to worry about.” You tell her calmly.

“Turbulence...right.” She says, sighing in relief.

1 day later

You're going across a large stretch of the Atlantic right now, having emptied half of your fuel bladders already as you continue across the open ocean. Vikna is asleep in the back as Ayn sits up front, looking out at the sea, icebergs floating around like small islands in the endless blue abyss. A bit of turbulence shakes the plane, but you manage to smooth it out with your reflexes. These enhanced reflexes are a godsend for flying in turbulent weather. It's like everything is happening in slow motion when something adversarial happens.

“So, what happened back in Liertz?” Ayn asks.

You look back and see Vikna sleeping soundly, seat folded back as far as it could go. You disconnect her headphone jack and look back at Ayn.

“I put down an insurgency with the help of Liertzian special forces.” You reply. “I don't know if I can talk about it.”

“Why?” She asks. “You know I'm not going to talk.”

“I don't think I could take it.” You say, looking forward into the small snowstorm you were flying through. “I nearly broke before I found that...thing that lead them.”

“I'm here for you sweetie.” She says, a hand placing itself on your shoulder. “You can tell me anything.”

“Over a thousand.” You say, continuing to look forward.

“What? Over a thousand what?” She asks.

“People dead.” You reply. “Over a thousand people died. I counted every single one. I...I wish I didn't.”

“W-well, that can't possibly be just from you, can it?” She asks.

“I did it myself or...ordered people to do it.” You reply, hands now shaking a bit. “God, the things I did to prevent more from joining the insurgency.”

“What did you do?” She asks hesitantly.

“If I say it, you'll hate me forever.” You tell her. “Even someone as kind as you will hate me forever.”

“No, you're wrong.” Ayn says. “I could never hate you, especially after all the things you've done for me.”

“I'm in the same boat as Loki now.” You say. “Except I'm actually a monster.”

She pulls your face toward her and shakes her head.

“You're nothing like him.” She says. “Not even remotely.”

“I...” You say, not able to open your mouth again as a tear makes its way down your cheek.

She puts a hand on your cheek and wipes the tear away, giving you a smile.

“You can do it.” She says. “You're strong enough.”

“I...killed...fathers...” You say, quivering at the next part. “In front of their wives and children.”

Her hand drops from your face, going over her mouth as her eyes go wide in surprise.

“Oh my god.” You hear, barely audible over the engine noise.

You look forward and notice you're shaking so bad that the plane is vibrating. You let go of the stick and nearly crush the autopilot button, your hands unable to sit still. What have you done? You just couldn't hold back could you? COULD YOU?! YOU PSYCHOPATHIC FUCK!

“T-tell me I didn't have a choice...” You say, watching your shaking hands continue to shake. “Please tell me I did what I had to do...”

“I-I don't know...” Ayn says. “...if I can.”

“Do you want me to let you off in Greenland?” You ask.

“I...” She says, pausing for a while.

“I'll call Fluff and ask her to let you go back. You'll never see me again.” You tell her. “I feel sick...”

The light begins to fade as you lay back against the seat, more tears coming out of your eye as Ayn begins shouting at you.

“Autopilot...land...mayday...” You manage to let out before everything goes black.

Ayn

You feel sick. He killed fathers in front of their families? What kind of person could do something like that? He looks ghostly white, like there was no blood left in his body. He was shaking like a leaf, scared half to death as he continues to look ahead into the storm. That was when he stopped shaking and slumped back in his seat, eyes slipping closed.

“Jack?” You ask. “Jack?!”

“Autopilot...land...mayday...” Is all he says before sliding off to the side, his seat belt holding him up.

“Jack?!” You ask loudly. “Wake up!”

You see movement in the back as Vikna stretches a bit, looking down at the headphone cable as you check for a pulse. He definitely was still alive. You hear a click and Vikna gets on the radio.

“What's going on?” She asks.

“Jack passed out!” You reply back. “Oh my god, what did I do?!”

“What did you do?” Vikna asks, a bit worried now.

“I asked him what happened on Serko and he just passed out!” You reply.

“HE WHAT?!” She asks at an ear piercing volume. “WHY THE FUCK DID YOU DO THAT?!”

“I-I didn't know any better!” You reply. “H-he did-”

“I don't care what he did! I already know and I'm getting him help!” She yells. “Did he put the autopilot on?!”

“Yes, he did!” You reply.

“What about the fuel?” Vikna asks, calming down a bit. “Did he switch over to the left tank?”

“Yes.” You reply, calming down yourself when you hear her calm down.

“I need you to switch over to the right tank. That's where all the fuel from these bladders go.” She tells you. “It's on the floor.”

You look down and see it between the seats, switching the fuel from left to right.

“WARNING! ICE!” The headphones blare. “WARNING! ICE!”

You look out on the wings and see ice beginning to build up on the wings.

“Push the anti-ice button!” Vikna yells. “NOW!”

You press the button and look back outside, ice beginning to melt before breaking off. The plane turns sharply and you see some land in the distance.

“Warning, approaching aircraft, we have a flight plan but you have not been reporting on the radio. What is your status?” They ask.

“Press the button on top of the right hand stick!” Vikna yells. “Tell them mayday 3 times and say our pilot has been incapacitated. He is just incapacitated, right? RIGHT?!”

“He's only unconscious!” You yell back, pushing the button specified. “Mayday, mayday, mayday, our pilot is incapacitated and we are landing on autopilot.”

“We understand and are dispatching ground crew to assist. Have you ever flown before?” The radioman asks.

“Only space faring shuttles, never anything aerodynamic based!” You say, beginning to panic, not knowing you would need to land it.

“The landing autopilot is on, right?” The radioman asks.

“Yes, it's on.” You tell him.

“Do you know where the flaps lever is?” He asks.

“No, I don't.” You reply, looking around the dash at all the buttons and levers.

“Alright, calm down. It should be to your left. It has a a blue and white color scale on it. Push that down one click.” The man says.

You look to your left and find the lever, pushing it down one click.

“Okay, I have you in sight. Do you have landing gear?” He asks.

“Yes, we do.” You reply.

“Well, I don't know where the landing gear lever is on that plane. How many souls are onboard?” He asks.

“Three including me.” You reply. “Are we going to die?”

“No, try and wake the pilot.” He says. “He is still alive, correct?”

“He won't wake up.” You reply. “We're getting really close to the airport.”

“Between deh seats!” You hear yelled behind you. “Pull dhat lever up!”

You look between the seats and see a large lever, pulling it up before hearing a whining come from below the aircraft.

“Thanks Vikna.” You say, looking back.

“I didn't say anything.” She replies.

“Push back power, yer too fast.” The voice says again. “Black pull knob.”

You look around the cockpit, but see nobody else is here. It definitely wasn't Jack.

“STOP LOOKING AND START PUSHING!” The voice screams.

You look toward the bank of three pull levers and push the throttle forward as far as it will go, the engine quieting down.

“Now power down.” The radioman says. “You're coming...oh, you're already powered down.”

You look down at the ground and see it coming in very fast. Suddenly, the yolk in front of you pulls back harshly, the nose going up as you feel yourself pushed into the seat. You feel yourself hit the ground hard, nose setting down on the ground.

“Push both of the pedals in as hard as you can, get that plane stopped!” He yells. “Now! Do it!”

You push both of the pedals in hard, feeling the metal groan as the tires screech underneath you. The plane tries to lift back in the air, but is going too slow and sets itself back on the ground, Vikna pulling the flaps tab back up before you come to a complete stop.

“Turn the key on the pilots side off now. Turn it as far in the opposite direction as you can.” He says.

You do just that, undoing your seat belt and reaching over Jack to turn the plane off. You see green and white vehicles speed down the slightly snowy strip, skidding to a halt as men dressed in overcoats and baggy pants ready hoses. People with red crosses on their helmets exit another vehicle, gurney in tow as they open the door up. They check Jack's pulse and nod, undoing his seat belt before loading him on the cart. Vikna opens the door and runs after them as do you, leaving the other men to take care of the plane. What was that? What do you do now?


	14. Chapter 13: Fighting back

??? later

Jack

You've been in and out of consciousness the entire time, feeling like you were being stabbed and gutted every time you tried to wake up. You felt terrible. Ayn thinks you're a monster and probably hates you now. The only thing keeping you alive right now is the fact you did good deeds for her. You were crouched in your pit of loneliness, keeping yourself away from the outside. Vikna probably hated you to. Everyone hates you. Nobody likes you for long and everyone is only showing you pity. There was never any love. Nobody actually cared, which is fine by you. That's the way it should be. Everybody should stay away from you.

“What are you doing down here?” An old Irish voice asks.

“I'm a monster Grandpa. A monster who needs to stay locked away in his cage.” You reply.

“Nonsense.” He says.

“Nonsense? NONSENSE?! DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY FUCKING PEOPLE DIED BECAUSE OF ME?!” You scream angrily. “THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE DIED. 2663 PEOPLE TO BE EXACT!”

“Now, that's not very fair of you.” He says.

“It wasn't fair that those people had to die!” You yell. “They believed in a cause and I slaughtered them for it! All because I wanted to protect my friends! THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE DIED FOR ONE PERSON TO LIVE!”

“They gave up their right to live as soon as they tried to kill you!” Your grandpa yells back. “Don't raise yer fucking voice at me boy!”

You can't work up the balls to look at your grandpa. How could you? He's so much more of a man than you are.

“On your feet.” He says.

You can't.

“GET ON YOUR FEET MARINE!” He screams, right above you. “GET UP AND APOLOGIZE!”

You rise to your feet and feel yourself fall, opening your eyes.

“I'm sorry!” You yell out before looking around, seeing you're laying in a hospital bed.

Two nurses are attaching new leads before they back off, looking back at you in surprise. You lift yourself out of the hospital bed, feeling a couple of leads peel off which cause some machines to start beeping madly.

“Doctor!” One of the nurses yells before going off in a language you didn't understand.

A man enters the room and sees you sitting up, his eyes going wide in surprise.

“Oh my god!” He says. “How are you awake so soon?”

“I...don't know.” You reply. “How long was I out?”

“Only 2 weeks. That was a very short coma.” He replies.

“Jack?!” You hear outside the hallway before Vikna makes her way past the doctor. “Oh my god! Jack!”

She makes her way toward you and presses her lips against yours, forcing her tongue past her lips as you let her past your teeth. Your tongues intertwine, dancing around your mouth as she gives you a desperate kiss. You tap her head and she opens her eyes, pulling back before you wipe your lips.

“O-oh, sorry.” She says. “What happened?”

“I was talking to Ayn and I passed out.” You tell her. “I don't know what happened after that.”

“Ayn landed the plane.” She tells you. “The doctors said you wouldn't make it.”

“I...” You say, looking down at the ground. “I'm a terrible person.”

“Well, I don't know about that, but I do know what happened. You went into stress related shock.” He says. “You were so stressed out that you passed out from the pressure. I've never seen it in person but I've only ever heard of it from high ranking business men and owners of companies.”

“I did something much worse than running a shady business.” You tell him.

“No! Do not think about it again or you might fall into another coma. I am recommending therapy alongside medication-”

“I DON'T NEED FUCKING PILLS!” You scream back at him, making Vikna back away. “I...don't need more pills. Not yet.”

“I think you do.” He counters. “You're free to go home whenever you like, as long as nobody brings up the traumatic memories that made you go into a coma. You should be-”

Before he can finish, you see a portal open behind him, grabbing his attention as a woman rushes through it. You recognize her from all those months ago as Fluff. She looks you over, sighing.

“I thought you were dying.” She says, looking over to Vikna. “Are you all okay?”

“Ayn saved the day, like she always does.” Vikna replies. “Wait, why are you here?”

“I'm checking on Jack.” She replies. “I hope you have room for one more inside the plane. The portal has to charge for a day before I can go back through.”

You nod, the nurses taking out IV lines before disconnecting leads. The doctor mouths out a “what the fuck” before returning to his normal composure.

“I'll have to move a fuel bladder into the back and you'll have to help Ayn pump fuel, but otherwise I have the weight and fuel to carry you too.” You reply with a smile. “Thanks for coming by the way.”

“No problem. Can't let my friend die before he makes good on his promise, can I?” She asks with a smirk.

“Shit, I almost forgot I have a war to fight.” You tell her. “Guess I got a few more decades ahead of me.”

“How far away are we from the airport?” She asks.

“This is actually an in house infirmary.” The doctor tells you both. “You're free to go whenever you want.”

The doctor looks around, smiling that he actually got to finish his sentence this time.

“Thanks doc.” You say, getting yourself out of bed.

“Whoa! You need to use a wheelchair until-”

“I'll be fine.” You tell him, getting up. “See, perfectly fine.”

“You Americans sure do love interrupting, don't you?” He asks.

“Yes, sir.” You say, smiling at Fluff and Vikna.

He chuckles and lets you all go, allowing you to walk out of the hospital room.

10 minutes later

You make it out on the tarmac and see Ayn checking over the aircraft, holding a book in one hand and moving the ailerons with the other. She turns around and sees all three of you coming and cocks her head curiously. When you close in, she smirks, causing Fluff to look away.

“I see you brought me someone to play with. I was starting to get lonely out here.” She says with a smirk.

You look down at the floor, not able to face her when you get this close.

“Do you still want to go back?” You ask.

“I never said I wanted to.” She replies. “Stop getting all these silly ideas in your head. Just because you did some bad things doesn't make you a bad guy. It just means you did what you needed to do.”

You look up at her and see her smiling back, oil on her fur as she closes up the owners manual for the plane. He looks at her arms and sniffs them, sticking her tongue out in disgust. She then walks over to Fluff sniffing her and nodding.

“Let's go take a shower.” She tells her. “Doesn't have to be the same stall, but we both need it.”

She nods and takes Fluff off, walking back to the terminal while you take the book back, going to check if Ayn missed anything.

Ayn

10 more minutes later

You're washing the grease and oil from your fur when you finally hear Rei, or whatever her name is in this world, undo the curtains to another stall. The water turns on and you sigh, clearing your throat.

“So, do you know the whole picture?” You ask.

“No, I don't.” She replies. “Mind enlightening me?”

“He said he killed thousands. Directly and indirectly. Killed fathers in front of their families to keep them from becoming insurgents too.” You reply back. “I couldn't believe it until Vikna managed to hack his neural interface. A bit of ARA was still holding on inside, blocking our access before Vikna purged her.”

“Jesus Christ.” She says.

“Yeah, I had trouble swallowing it down before he passed out. Pardon my choice of words.” You continue. “I knew he didn't want to do any of it. He only did what he had to and what ARA recommended as the best course of action. Vikna didn't feel it, but I could feel his fear. It was palpable to the point of making me scared. He wondered what we were going to think of him and how he could live with himself. How he was going to be able to look at his own son. What he would do if someone found out.”

“I had no idea.” She says.

“Neither did I.” You add. “I wish I was there for him. If not to alleviate some of the pressure. He was so repressed that I nearly broke into a fit when I felt it.”

“Wait, what did you two do?” She asks.

“We linked implants.” You reply. “I know it's dangerous, but I was able to keep my wits about me until I made it out. It also helped that our minds were linked a few months ago.”

“I feel like this is my fault.” She tells you. “I begged him to stay all those months ago and he went out and pacified an entire city with his squad. I think the only thing holding him together right now is Vikna. He really loves her and I'm in no position to deny them.”

“Why would you in the first place?” You ask.

“I don't know. Probably because I was still stuck in the thought process of you all being fictional.” She says.

You turn around and poke your head out of the showers, looking around to see if Jack was around. He didn't need anymore stress or bashing today.

“I think he tries his best with what he has.” You tell Rei. “Sometimes it's just not enough. That's why he has friends like us.”

“Yeah, he really does try.” Rei says. “He tries really hard. Basically blows smoke up my ass when it's not coming out of his ears. Even before he knew I was a woman, he'd basically suck my dick.”

You giggle at the imagery, rinsing your fur off before turning off the shower. You shake yourself off violently, most of the moisture from the water exiting into the shower walls and curtain. Your tail is last to shake and you wring your hair out, exiting the shower to a very surprised man.

“You know this is the mens shower, right ma'am?” The skinny guy asks.

“I had no idea.” You lie. “I'll make note of it.”

He nods, making his way to a shower on the other side of the room. No arousal? Not even a twitch? What a stone faced bad ass. You make your way over to the towels and wrap yourself with the fabric. It's surprisingly absorbent, removing most of the remaining moisture just by passing it over you. It's almost like it physically sucks the moisture out. When you set the towels away, you begin putting your pants and sweater on. It was cold, even in the shower room. When you look around, you see it's because the window above the showers was open. Who in their right mind would ever leave that open? Rei exits the shower completely clothed, which disappoints you slightly. She smirks, probably knowing what you were thinking.

“You know we're going to be stuck next to each other for six hours, right?” You ask. “The communications inside Jacks plane aren't fool proof either.”

“No, I have a girlfriend Ayn.” She replies. “No sex.”

“Who said I was going to fuck you?” You ask with a smirk. “I have other ways...”

“You guys done in there?” Jack asks. “It's been 3 hours. We need to head off before the storm front comes in. That little bush plane is going to be tossed around like pair of pants in a drier if we don't get moving now.”

“Coming!” You yell out to him. “Let's go before he pulls us both along.”

1 hour later

Jack

You totally missed the timing by at least 2 hours. The plane was getting pelted with rain and the only thing keeping your plane from icing up was the amazing anti-icing kit built into this plane. It was like every part of it was covered with heaters that are specifically designed to destroy ice. You look back and see Fluff on her tablet, drawing something that looked like your plane in a storm while Ayn watches her intently. It makes you envious that you'll probably never reach her level of skill and renown, but you keep that in the back of your head. Your expertise lies elsewhere.

“Am I going smooth enough for you to keep drawing?” You ask him.

“Yeah. How are you keeping it so steady?” She asks in reply.

“These reflexes are pretty top tier.” You reply. “I can smooth out anything as it comes.”

“You should see his arms!” Vikna adds. “They're like jackhammers!”

“All the better to pet you with my dear.” You say, putting a hand on her head and rubbing her hair.

“Stop it!” She yells with crossed arms. “Not in front of Ayn!”

“I already know how lovey dovey you are with him habi-I mean, sweetie.” Ayn says.

You turn back, smoothing out another set of turbulence before turning toward Fluff.

“So, what do you want for Christmas this year? Another shitty drawing?” You ask sarcastically.

“I'm more in the market for a shitty source film maker animation involving one of the girls.” She replies.

“I'll make it so when we get back.” You say before chuckling. “What about you Vikna? Anything you want?”

“Not really.” She says. “I couldn't ask for anything from you.”

“Too bad, I'm getting something for you whether you like it or not.” You tell her, already having something in mind.

You look back to the weather radar and see a massive storm surge on the radar. The height looks like it cuts off at about 20 grand and you don't think going directly under a snow storm is a good idea either.

“You're all buckled in, right?” You ask, pulling an air mask down from the ceiling.

“Yeah, why?” Fluff asks.

“Because I want you to pull an air mask down from that compartment above you. Put it on your face and pull it tight until I give the all clear. We have to fly above this storm.” You tell her. “It's too thick to fly through.”

You pull down the air mask for Ayn, having bought one back in Greenland for about 30 dollars converted. Vikna puts her own mask on, leading to you turning on the oxygen system. You push the throttle all the way forward, the noise rising exponentially as you begin to climb.

“WARNING! ICE!” The alert system blares.

“This is November one Kilo seven six two requesting clearance to climb past 22 thousand feet.” You say over UHF.

“Copy November one Kilo, clear for change in altitude.” The ATC from Greenland tell you.

You pull the aircraft up and the aircraft keeps popping warnings up, prompting you to activate the secondary anti-ice system. You hear a release of compressed air pop the ice off the wings, prompting you to click it off as the plane begins buffeting too much for you to compensate.

“Jesus fuck!” You yell. “Climb god dammit!”

“Are we going to be okay?!” Vikna asks, grabbing the handle by her seat.

“I've been through worse in much smaller!” You lie.

“Really?!” Vikna asks.

“No!” You reply. “So hold onto your ass and let me fly!”

You eventually stop trying to compensate, seeing that it loses you tons of airspeed in a climb.

“WARNING! ICE!” The alert system blares again.

“Vikna, hit the button!” You yell over it.

She flicks the switch and the compressed air releases, breaking off the ice before flicking it back down. The bladders deflate and you continue climbing, at 18 thousand feet by now.

“Come on baby, are you gonna lose to some twin engine wannabe from the 70s? Get your ass in gear and climb for me!” You yell, hoping to motivate your plane into moving.

You pass 19 grand and the buffeting gets even worse, throwing loose items around the cabin as Vikna holds on for dear life.

“WARNING! I-”

It doesn't even finish before Vikna pulls the switch up, blasting the ice away from the wings as she flicks it down again. The stall horn begins to sound, slowly increasing in intensity as you try to pull the throttle back even more.

“What's that noise?!” Ayn asks.

“LET ME FLY!” You scream back, flying right over the edge of the storm cloud.

The stall horn gets louder and more high pitched as you continue to lose airspeed, the airplane shaking violently as you feel yourself near the edge. You know this was it if you didn't think fast. You feel the wing begin to dip, having stalled as the horn reaches maximum intensity. You look down and see the prop pitch was still set at cruise before you pull it as far back as it will go, putting it into climb mode. The engine pulls you through the air like a reindeer does to a sleigh, the stall horn quieting down as you breach the clouds. It's a bright blue sky above you, a large cloud stretching below as you level the plane out. The turbulence has quieted down a lot too, causing a smile to creep across your face.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we have reached our cruising altitude. You may now unfasten your seat belts and move freely about the cabin. Drinks and complimentary snacks will be handed out by the stewardesses as compensation for the bumpy weather.” You say with surprising smoothness. “We hope you fly with us again.”

Vikna throws her arms around you, rubbing up against you as you feel her purr even through the orange survival suit.

“Holy shit, we're alive!” Fluff says behind you. “I thought we were goners!”

“O ye of little faith!” You say back. “Keep your masks on, air's too thin to breathe up here.”

4 hours later

You'd finally landed in Canada, changing out of the survival suit before rolling it under your arm. They can say what they want about how uncomfortable the suit is, it sure keeps the heat in. The only one who was cold was Ayn, and she was cold the entire flight. You didn't intend on flying the entire flight at over 22 grand, but you had no real choice. The storm was so massive that it stretched all the way to the Canadian coast. It wasn't going to be long now, maybe 5 more hours of flying before you're back at your home airport. When you exit the bathroom, Vikna is waiting for you with a smile on her face.

“Can we stay here for the night? I just read that a storm is going to pass over the northern US and southern Canada. I'm tired of sleeping inside the plane.” She says.

“Too bad. I just got the oxygen tanks filled and we're going to be flying at 24 grand this time.” You tell her.

Just as you finish, you see Fluff walking up to you, two coffees in her hands. She hands one off to Vikna, who smiles and nods to her.

“Thank you Rei.” She says.

“You're welcome Vikna.” She replies before looking up at you. “Why do you have flare dispensers on the back of your plane?”

“They were for something I never ended up doing.” You reply. “I think Vikna would've killed me if I went down as far south as I wanted to go.”

“Why, what was down south?” Vikna asks.

“Afghanistan.” You reply.

She smacks you lightly across the face. Not enough for it to hurt, but enough to know she wasn't kidding.

“Don't pull a fast one on me again. I know flare dispensers when I see them.” She tells you.

“Sorry.” You tell her. “Let's get going so we can get ahead of that storm.”

“Ayn?!” Fluff yells. “Where'd you go off to?!”

You see her come out of the women's bathroom, a man coming out after her who appeared to be an employee.

“Have a good rest of your day Habibi. I hope you liked it as much as I did.” She says calmly before seeing all three of you in front of her.

“Did you just do it in an airport bathroom?” You ask.

“You expect me not to do it when someone as horny as that boy comes to the counter all flustered? I thought you knew me better.” She says with a smile. “Don't worry, I won't smell up the plane if that's what you're asking. It's all tucked away inside my wo-”

“Shut up!” Vikna yells. “Nobody cares and you're being gross again!”

“Hey, I just wanted to tell all of you how viral that guy was. You humans are something else.” She says with a smirk.

“I think I'm gonna scream.” Vikna says.

You all laugh and walk out the door, making it back to the taxiway.

7 hours later

You had your home airport in sight, calling your landing approach as snow blew past the windshield. Everyone was asleep and you were just about there, still having another 45 minutes of driving in an ill equipped vehicle ahead of you. It was stupid to take the Mustang, you should've taken the Taurus instead. You touch the plane down, rousing Vikna while the two in the back sleep. Your fuel was extremely low too, having only 10 useful gallons left in your wing tank. When you taxi back to your usual spot, you realize you have 2 planes now, the 2 engine plane being covered in at least a foot of snow. This was something you'd have to fix later.

“Guys, we're here.” You tell them. “Welcome back to the US of A.”

You turn the airplane off and take off your headset, setting it on the rack as well as taking off your mask.

“Already? I was just getting comfortable.” Ayn says, pulling her head off Fluff's lap.

“Well, you can get comfortable in the Mustang. You can sit behind Vikna and Fluff can sit behind me. I'll move forward if you want.” You reply.

“Thanks.” She says, stretching herself out before you turn the battery off.

You open the door up and feel the icy bite of a Michigan winter hit you square in the face, eager to get inside the car as the wind blows snow along with it. Vikna is the next one to get out with Ayn following close behind. She stretches out a bit before shivering, obviously cold. You offer her your coat and she takes it smiling graciously at you before you walk toward the airport.

40 minutes later

You turn toward the road leading home, the engine rumbling as Vikna holds your shoulder hostage under her head, purring gently as you continue toward your house.

“I'll see if I can find the air mattress for you two. My bed is too small for both of you to fit on it.” You tell them. “When I get home, don't let my mom get mad at you, she's probably going to be really pissed that I'm bringing friends back.”

“Especially when she meets me.” Ayn says. “I remember when she first saw me and freaked out.”

You cringe at that, remembering how edgy you were when you met your mom after all that time. Should've been nicer instead of pointing a fucking gun at her.

“Jack, the road!” Vikna yells.

You notice you're sliding off the side of the road and move to correct, getting back on the straight and narrow.

“I need coffee.” You say, rubbing your eye.

“You need sleep.” She says. “Don't miss the turnoff.”

You nod, bringing the car to a stop before turning off to the side. The garbage can is out now, meaning it must be Sunday. You keep going down the driveway, hoping it's Sunday and the garbage hasn't just been left out all week. After you reach your garage, you stop, turning off and opening your door. You make your way through the light snow, walking up to the garage and opening it. The Mjolnir knockoff is back where it belongs, in the garage and not being used. You feel kind of bad leaving junior in there, but she said it doesn't bother her. When you get back to the car, you pull the seat forward and let Fluff out of the back. She gets out and so does Ayn, crawling her way out of the back in an awkward movement that almost made you laugh.

When you get the car in the garage, you shut the engine off as well as the lights and radio. Vikna closes her side of the car and you do too, locking your side of the car before walking out of the almost pitch black garage. Fluff is standing in the snow, breath showing in the dim light of the pole light at the top of the driveway. You didn't feel comfortable staying outside this late at night. Hopefully the things that lurked in the forest were hibernating or whatever the fuck paranormal things do in the winter.

“When you said you lived in the middle of nowhere, you meant it. There wasn't anything for miles.” Fluff says, walking up the driveway with the rest of you.

“Yeah, it's a blessing and a curse.” You tell her, making it to the garage.

You make it up to the garage and open the door, a blast of heat making its way to your face. You step inside and are immediately faced with the unpleasant smell of a cigarette.

“Finally decided to come back?” Your mother asks on the other side of the van.

“I just flew for 11 hours mom. I came back as soon as I could.” You reply. “I have some friends who wanted to come along.”

“I saw that armor down in the garage. What were you doing while you were out?” She asks.

“I can't talk about it or I'll go into a coma again.” You tell her. “Can I go to sleep before you start trying to piss me off?”

“Fine.” Your mother says begrudgingly. “The dog died while you were gone by the way.”

“Shit sucks.” You say, making your way up the stairs. “Night.”

“Night.” She echoes, watching as all four of you make your way up the stairs.

As you make it inside, Fluff speaks up.

“You live with your mom?” She asks snarkily.

“My mom lives with me.” You correct. “Not in the mood right now.”

“Jeez, it's just a joke.” She says.

You make it inside and walk toward the living room, grabbing the air mattress from a closet before laying it out in the living room. The cradle is laid out by a heater, the fake fireplace blowing hot air into the crib. The puppy is whining, tossing and turning as it kicks the blanket away. This doesn't seem right to you and Ayn confirms this, rushing over to the crib and scooping the baby up.

“Oh my god!” She says in disbelief, rubbing the baby against her muzzle. “Come here sweetie. Mama Ayn's got you. Who did this?”

She holds the baby in her arms, nuzzling it gently before it stops panting.

“Probably my sister.” You reply.

“I need to have a word with her. I'll be right back. Take the baby please. Keep him cool, he feels like he's on fire.” She says, handing the boy over to you.

You take the baby and Ayn stomps down the stairs, prompting you to look back at Fluff.

“She's very protective of young children.” She says.

“To a fault?” You ask.

“Not really.” She replies.

“OPEN UP YOU STUPID BITCH!” You hear her scream downstairs.

You look back at her and she smiles sheepishly, looking down at the ground.

“Maybe a little...” She says as you cool the baby down with your cold hands.

“Oh my god.” Vikna says before giggling. “She's pissed!”

“What the hell did you think leaving your baby next to a heater like that?!” Ayn continues yelling.

“Who even are you?!” Your sister asks in return.

“I'm the woman who's going to kick your ass if you don't answer my question!” Ayn shouts in reply. “Why the hell does it smell like pot down here?! What the fuck are you even doing with a child?!”

“He was a mistake!” Kelly replies.

“Is that what you call the life that you brought into this world?! A MISTAKE?!” Ayn screams at the top of her lungs. “How dare you even THINK about having a child! You're less put together than I was in high school and I was pretty stupid back then! You should forfeit that baby before I take him from you by force!”

“Who do you think you are coming into my house and telling me how to raise my kid?!” Kelly asks in reply.

The baby starts to whine a bit and you hold him close, the little pup hanging onto your neck for safety. You can't let him live like this. You have to do something.

“It's not your house!” Ayn shouts.

“Not yours either.” Kelly says like the smartass she is. “I should call the police and have you arrested.”

“Jack, get down here!” Ayn orders.

You hand the baby off to Vikna, who smiles, looking at the kid who giggles at her. You make your way downstairs and the smell of weed forcibly shoves its way up your nose. It makes you sick before you make it over to Kelly and Ayn, the latter bearing her teeth and the former staring up at her with discontent.

“I brought the actual owner of the house here to help smooth negotiations.” Ayn says.

“Ayn's right.” You tell Kelly. “You need to stop smoking that dope and start taking better care of your kid.”

“But I don't know how!” She says.

“That didn't stop you two from fucking and taking fertility meds to make yourselves compatible.” You say back, pointing to her boyfriend and her. “If you think I'm going to show someone who abandoned me any favor over someone who rescued me from the depths of depression and suicide, you're sadly mistaken.”

“But we're family Jack!” She yells.

“Not anymore.” You say back. “Ayn, can you keep her kid safe until morning? I'm calling CPS when I get up tomorrow. Then I'm kicking her out.”

“What's CPS?” She asks.

“Child Protective Services.” You reply. “They take kids away from terrible parents like her.”

“Uh, no you're not.” Kelly says, turning your attention back to a gun being pointed at both of you. “You're staying right here-”

You immediately rip the gun out of her hands through brute force, racking the slide multiple times until the gun locks open. After this, you pocket the pistol and nod.

“Yes I am.” You tell her. “If you point a gun at Ayn again, I'll kill you with this same gun you tried to kill me with. Understand?”

She nods, holding her hands up before you walk back to the steps, Ayn in tow as you climb up. When you come up the stairs, Vikna smiles and rubs herself up against the baby. You hear the pump working as it finishes inflating the mattress. Fluff shoves the pump back inside the mattress, already knowing how the thing works. She grabs a blanket, throwing it over the bed before grabbing a couple pillows from the couch.

“No funny stuff, okay? We're in a house full of people in the middle of the living room.” She asks.

“Fine. I'll be a good girl.” Ayn replies, wagging her tail a bit. “Let's get to sleep.”

You make your way up the stairs, opening the doors and seeing the bag that Zofie left completely open and clothes strewn about the place. There was a purse on the floor that was also open, but the cards were sitting around on the ground, completely useless here. You pick up everything and put it back, Vikna watching you from the bed. You close the door and turn out the lights, your eyes adjusting quickly to the low light. You can make out Vikna smiling at you as you close in, your new eyes being a great addition to your body. She pulls herself onto you, purring gently as you both lay down on the bed. It groans a bit under your weight, making you feel a bit self conscious until you realize just how heavy the extra muscles and dense bones are. You feel a bit better about yourself as Vikna licks your face a couple times, dozing off after a little while. Next week was going to be very busy indeed.

The next day

You're laying in bed, having just woken up with a very soft kitty in your arms. Her tail was wrapped around your waist somehow, having either lifted you up or managed to push her tail under you without you knowing. It didn't bother you though, as it was just more contact with your favorite person in the world. You were terrified last night that you'd be having the mother of all nightmares, but it was the dream with the two kids again. God, you want that dream to become a reality as much as Vikna does, but the world isn't finished being an asshole yet. She pulls you in closer, purring before she licks your chest a couple times.

“You're not taking my baby away from me.” Kelly says, making you groan.

“Are you kidding?” Vikna asks, muffled by your chest. “Can't we just have this one moment to ourselves?”

“I've already taken your baby. You're not fit to raise him.” Ayn says. “Come here sweetie, mama Ayn has you. That mean crack addict can't touch you here.”

You pull yourself out of bed, Viknas tail unfurling as you step down on the ground. You pick up your earpiece and keep moving, calling CPS as you get dressed.

“Hello, child protective services, my name is Darlene, how may I help you today?” A woman asks.

“My sister has been neglecting her child in favor of doing drugs in the basement. Is it possible that you could send someone down here to evaluate her?” You ask.

“Certainly, where do you live?” She asks.

You give her your address and she tells you an expert from CPS is coming over in about half an hour to visit. You hang up, putting your socks on before opening the door.

“He's my SON!” Kelly shouts.

“Not any more! You gave up that right when you left him in a crib with a heater blowing in! Anthros don't sweat as much as you humans can and he doesn't know how to pant yet!” Ayn yells back.

“Child protective services is coming over in half an hour.” You say groggily. “I can smell the dope from up here. You're not keeping your kid.”

“YOU FUCKING-AGH!” She screams, stomping back downstairs.

You move down the stairs before Vikna puts a hand on your shoulder.

“Can we go back to bed now?” She asks.

“I'm hungry.” You reply. “Too hungry to sleep.”

“You're finally up?” Fluff asks, sitting with her drawing tablet.

“You didn't intervene?” You ask in return.

“Not my place.” She replies. “I made you breakfast last time. It's your turn.”

You nod, stepping over the half deflated mattress before making it to the kitchen. Kelly's boyfriend walks past you, surprised to see you. He has a baggie in one hand and a bong in the other, which prompts you to point back toward the door. He listens, walking out the door and coming back without the items.

“Hey man, where have you been?” He asks.

“Back in the Rishan.” You reply. “Fighting a war.”

He nods, turning the corner before dropping to his knees.

“Princess Ayn!” He says, lowering his head and tail. “I'm sorry, I didn't notice you there.”

“Ah, I see where the resemblance comes from.” Ayn says, out of sight. “Rise and tell me why this child has been neglected.”

“I've been at work all the time and I go out on...milk runs...for Kelly.” He says. “I quit smoking, but Kelly can't get enough of it.”

“Come to me.” She says, causing him to walk out of view.

You start up the stove, grabbing a skillet from the cupboard by the oven.

“I smell no pot coming off you outside of fresh product. I believe you.” She says. “Would you be able to take care of this child by yourself Habibi?”

“I-I don't know the first thing about children princess.” He replies.

“Don't call me princess, call me Ayn.” She tells him gently. “I'd be more than happy to teach you.”

You crack a couple eggs and pour them into a bowl, mixing them up before pouring them in the skillet.

“I-I'd be honored Ayn.” He says with a stutter.

You smile and get back to cooking the eggs, flipping them over before setting them out on a plate, pouring more eggs into the skillet. Vikna swoops in and steals the first plate, taking it over to the counter before pouring salt on the eggs.

“Can I get a glass of orange juice?” She asks.

You nod, making your way to the fridge and grabbing some orange juice. After shaking it for a bit, you grab a cup and pour it in. When you finish, you make your way over to Vikna with the full cup of orange juice, carefully setting it down as to not spill it.

“You never cease to amaze me with that.” She tells you. “I've never seen you spill a glass that full.”

“It used to happen a lot when I went up stairs.” You say. “Got really good at it.”

She smiles, taking a sip of it on the counter before picking it up and drinking a bit more. You slide the next plate of eggs out and take it out to Fluff, who's coloring in the drawing she was making yesterday in the storm. She smiles and take the fork, cutting into it before eating a piece. Felt so weird having girl Fluff in your home. You almost didn't want her here, as you felt like this was even more awkward than it would be if her...furry self was here. You make your way back and repeat the process a couple more times, giving Ayn and Kelly's boyfriend eggs to eat. When you finish the last couple eggs in the carton, you let them slide onto a plate before you hear your mother coming out of her room.

“Did you make any for me?” She asks.

“I smell eggs!” Kelly yells from the living room.

“Yeah, I...made these for you two to share.” You say, kind of disappointed now. “Here.”

Your mother looks confused, but your sister is happy to take them, putting half of the eggs on a plate.

“I'll make a sandwich.” You say, walking over to the fridge and firing up the toaster oven.

You then decide it's too much work to heat it up, turning the toaster oven off and spreading the ingredients over sliced bread. Tomatoes, beef, and lettuce. Something Zofie might approve of. You take a bite and feign a smile, looking back at Vikna who's smiling back. Hopefully that worked.

“When do you want me to contact DC?” You ask Vikna.

“What's DC?” She asks in reply.

“Our capital.” Fluff replies.

“Why are you contacting DC?” Your mom asks.

“Have you heard of any terror attacks coming out of the middle east?” You ask.

“Yeah, they crashed into the US embassy in Iraq and Syria with small jets.” Your mother replies.

“I'm going to put a stop to it. Permanently.” You reply. “Whether they like it or not.”

“Is that where you were for the past few months?” She asks.

“That's classified.” You reply.

Just then, you hear a knock at the door.

“Child protective services, open up!” A man at the door yells.

“Coming!” You yell back.

“NO! YOU'RE NOT TAKING MY BABY!” Kelly screams, dropping the plate and running in front of you.

“I will throw you across the room if you don't move.” You tell her. “Get out of my way.”

“No, you're not taking my baby!” She repeats.

You grab her and forcibly remove her from the doorway, pushing her into the bathroom and closing the door.

“Vikna, the baby!” You yell. “Ayn, get the other door!”

“NO!” Your sister screams, trying to open the door. “LET ME OUT YOU FUCKING BABY KILLER!”

This hurts you on a level you didn't think you could be hurt, crushing the door handle slightly. You watch Vikna walk past you with the baby as it looks around in confusion, not knowing what's going on as you hear Kelly walk up to the other door. She continues screaming like a wild animal, trying to get out of the room.

“Hello?” Vikna asks.

“Is this your child, ma'am?” The man asks.

“No, the mother, if you could call her that, is trapped in a bedroom. She's been trying to take the baby all morning.” She replies.

“May I come with you?” He asks. “I want to check out the house.”

“Let him in!” You yell. “Keep the baby safe!”

“What the hell is going on in here?!” The man asks, walking through the door. “Why is she trapped in the room?”

“She's trying to keep her baby.” You reply. “Go downstairs and you'll find everything you need to know.”

Kelly begins pounding on your door now, trying to twist it open as you crush the door handle into the shape of your fingers. When Vikna and the CPS worker make it down stairs, you keep the door closed as she tries her best to make it out of the room.

“I've seen enough!” He says. “I'll put the baby in protective custody. Open the door, I'm putting this girl under arrest for possession of marijuana.”

“NO!” Kelly screams, running away from the door. "IT'S LEGAL!"

"Not since last month!" The man replies.

You open it up and he walks inside, Vikna standing next to you with the baby.

“Take the baby in the living room with Ayn. She might run out here.” You say.

Almost on cue, Kelly makes a break for it before you stop her, allowing the CPS worker to cuff her. She continues struggling, screaming about her baby as Vikna makes her way out of the living room. Kelly is dragged off and the door is left, leading to you making your way to it and looking out the door.

“When the police arrive, I'll take the baby and get him to a foster home. Lots of couples are looking for anthros right now.” He says with a smile.

You nod, closing the door and walking back inside as your mother stares at you in shock.

“I told you I'd do it last time I was here.” You say. “She can't have a baby and do drugs at the same time.”

“I was taking care of it.” She says.

“Were you the one who left him by the heater?” You ask.

“She did what?!” Your mother asks.

You nod and look back at Vikna, who's holding the baby while rocking it gently. At least it's over for now.

2 hours later

You're down in the garage, holding about 40 pounds of gold in your hand. A bit of sawing later and it becomes 39 pounds with 1 on the table. You pick up the gold piece with your former sawing hand, looking back to Fluff with a smile.

“Here you go.” You tell her. “Melt it down or something and pour it on some concrete. Then they won't think you stole it.”

She nods and you hand her the gold, a portal opening up later.

“You have 3 weeks.” She tells you. “January 3rd.”

You nod and watch as she pulls herself through the portal, the...fursona...of hers waving back at you before it closes. Vikna is standing behind the portal, smiling.

“What now big guy?” She asks.

“Let's go enjoy ourselves.” You reply.

When you make it out of the garage, you feel something slam into the back of your head, feeling ice cold as you feel something fall down your coat. You look back and see Vikna holding a snowball, making you smile. You scoop some snow up and throw it at her snout, hitting the top of her head instead. She smiles as you run to the sandbox for cover, feeling a snowball pelt your back before you dive into the small box.

“I'm the ice queen of the east! I have come to storm your castle!” Vikna yells to you.

“I am the frost king of the west, I shall not be overthrown!” You reply in an over the top manner in kind with Vikna. “Have at thee!”

30 minutes later

You're both sitting inside, holding each other as you dry her off with a towel. She has since stopped shivering, having gotten a ton of snow on her uncovered legs. Your mother was outside while Sullivan, as he's been called here, is downstairs talking to Ayn. He was apparently a Sianian native that came through a portal out of curiosity. He had thoroughly apologized for doing what he had done, as he admitted to going through Zofies bag for money. Kelly had made him do many things, including take those meds he didn't want to take. How much of it is true is debatable, but having a baby sounds like something your sister would definitely force someone into.

“You're so good to me.” Vikna says softly.

“If I wasn't, you probably would've left me long ago.” You tell her.

“What are you getting me for Christmas?” She asks.

“If I told you, it'd ruin the surprise.” You reply.

“Oh, so it's like a birthday present?” She asks.

“Yes.” You reply. “It's like your birthday but bigger.”

“So...we're going to do it really hard again?” She asks with a smirk.

“We can do that too.” You say, pulling her a bit closer. “After I give you the present I'm giving you.”

“I can't wait.” She says, planting a kiss on your cheek. “Wish I could give you something in return.”

“You've given me enough already.” You tell her. “I'm not letting you give me any more.”

“Well, do you mind if I bring over everyone else?” She asks.

“I was planning on doing that anyway.” You say.

“Great minds think alike.” She says, rubbing your cheek with hers.

“Wait, didn't we spend Christmas together?” You ask.

“Yeah, but we didn't get anything from each other because we were snowed in.” She replies.

“Oh...that's right.” You say.

2 weeks later

You're sitting at the couch, your friends and a few members of your family sitting around at various parts of the living room. Fluff wasn't able to make it, as he...she? Fuck it, he was dealing with matters of great importance. Something that not even Christmas could delay. You hand your first present to Nytro, who looks at the long box with curiosity.

“I don't normally use guns, but I guess I could start now.” He says.

When he opens the box, he pulls out a brand new long sword, tapping it a few times before cutting a few hairs off with it.

“It's made of a titanium alloy that's been hardened into something nearly unbreakable.” You tell him. “As long as you can keep yourself rigid, that sword will break just about everything.”

“Thanks man.” He says. “Probably still going to use my other sword though. Might keep this one for emergencies.”

You nod and point to Ayn next. She opens it up and unfolds the dress. She smiles and looks up at you.

“This is great sweetie.” She says. “If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were coming onto me. How'd you know my size?”

“I have my ways.” You tell her, remembering that you taped out her dress while she was asleep like a creepy old man. “You next Zofie.”

She opens up the box and finds a cutlery set as well as a few cook books underneath.

“Thank you.” She says. “I just want to say-”

“Not here.” You say with a smile. “It's Christmas. Your turn dad.”

He looks down at the box and opens it up, finding a lever action rifle inside. It looks very similar to a Red Ryder BB gun, which makes him chuckle.

“Jeeze Jack, you didn't have to do this for me.” He says slowly and methodically, looking back at the gun. “I appreciate it, son.”

Your mother is last, opening up her present and pulling it out. It was a new coffee machine.

“Sorry I didn't buy you something more useful. I just know the old coffee machine broke and you wanted coffee.” You tell her, having had a change of heart after she finally stopped cock blocking you. “This is the first time I've bought presents for anyone.”

“It's fine.” She says. “Thank you.”

You get up, pulling Vikna out of her seat and standing her up. You wanted this to be perfect.

“Vikna, I just want to say that the past year, through all its ups and downs, has been the best year of my entire life. I've never had this much fun in the entire time I've been alive. I know some people might not like this and it's going to be pushing the borders of what's acceptable, but I have a very important question to ask you.” You say, pulling out a little box and bending to one knee, mentally preparing yourself for the next step before opening the box up. “Would you......m-marry......me?”

The last part you have to fight to get out. The cringe isn't lost on you and if it were under any other circumstances, you'd probably not do it. It's as if the room stops for a moment, the only thing making a sound being your mother gasping in surprise. She looks between you and the ring, the diamond inside matching the color of her eyes as close as you could get it. You feel the cracks in your heart begin to get bigger the longer she waits, probably not wanting to say yes. Nytro did say she wouldn't go for it, didn't he? You give her an awkward smile, this being the best you could do as you feel your body heat up. Droplets of sweat make their way down your face as she finally blinks.

“I...I can't really say no, can I?” She asks. “Yes, I will!”

Your awkwardness completely washes away, feeling the world lifting off your shoulders as she takes the ring. Your mother cheers, followed by the rest of the room joining in. You get up off the ground and see her put the ring on her finger, which slides into place without issue, just like the jeweler said it would. She pulls you into a hug and pulls your head down for a kiss, getting exactly what she wants. The room quiets down and you both part, still hand in hand before you turn back to the group.

“I never thought you had the balls, blue.” Nytro says. “Told him you'd probably say no.”

“I never had any doubts.” Ayn says. “I'm sure you'll live long, happy lives together.”

“My son, actually a married man.” Your dad says. “You don't know how happy this makes me.”

Zofie is sitting there, her tail wagging back and forth as she smiles wide, happy to be there as your mother smiles as well.

“I really like the color.” Vikna says, holding the ring up to the light. “Did you try to match it with my eyes? They have a very special shade of purplish pink.”

“I couldn't find anything close enough, so I settled for something less than ideal.” You say, feeling a bit bad now.

“No no! I know it's hard. My old boyfriend tried the same thing and he said it was impossible to find. I'm surprised you even found one remotely close.” She tells you, lifting your spirits up again. “Besides, coming from you, it's perfect.”

You pull her into another hug, feeling her purr as she wraps her tail around you this time. She always knows what to say.

“I was going to ask your dad to come over, but he was busy with Fluff.” You say. “I really wanted him to come and visit with my dad.”

“Well, my dad's a busy man.” She says. “Besides, he can get the next best thing and watch it right here.”

She points at your eyes and smiles, putting her head underneath your neck as you sit yourself down on the couch. This was the best Christmas ever.

5 hours later

You're sitting with Vikna on the couch, holding her very close to you as Ayn continues talking with your dad.

“So, you're like a god in your universe?” Your dad asks.

“Well, it's a title that was given to me.” She says.

“Oh, good.” He tells her. “I thought you were pretending to be a deity.”

“No, I just don't believe in god.” She tells him.

“Oh...” Your dad says, a bit more disappointed. “Well, I respect your beliefs.”

“I mean no disrespect, sir, but you did kind of just say I was pretending to be a god.” She tells him. “I respect your beliefs, but I please ask you respect mine.”

“Didn't I just say that?” He asks.

“You didn't mean it.” She replies.

“If you two are going to argue, take it outside.” You tell them. “If not, shut up and make normal conversation that doesn't have to do with politics or religion.”

They both look at you, annoyed that you intervened, but understanding your reasoning.

“Hey, where did that dog and the other dog go?” Your mother asks.

“Nytro, Zofie, where are you at?!” You ask loudly.

“Shut up Jack!” Nytro shouts from the basement.

“They're having sex in the basement.” You reply. “You better be using that mat or I'm coming down there and tearing you two apart!”

“WE'RE USING THE FUCKING MAT!” Nytro screams up. “SHUT UP BEFORE I TEAR YOUR THROAT OUT!”

You chuckle a bit and look back at Vikna, seeing her giving you the eyes.

“Later.” You tell her.

5 hours later

You're laying in bed, the afterglow still fresh in your head from what you just did with Vikna. It felt so much better to cum inside your wife than it did your girlfriend. You wanted to stay inside, the warmth of her velvety folds so enticing on a cold Christmas night. That is, until a light presented itself to you and a figure walks into your room.

“Jack, are you up?” The distinct voice of Fluff asks.

“H-HEY!” Vikna shouts. “GET OUT!”

“What? Oh! Sorry!” He says. “It's really important though!”

“Dude, I'm balls deep in my wife right now. Leave us for a few minutes and I'll be right with you.” You tell him. “You should've called first.”

“I-I'll leave you two.” He says, making it back through the portal.

You look through the portal and squint, your eyes adjusting before seeing it's just the top of the Tower. You pull out of Vikna, causing her to whine and squeak as you remove your soft member from inside her. A little bit leaks out onto your crotch, but with how much you came it wasn't a surprise. You make your way out of bed and begin cleaning yourself off with a towel, handing another off to Vikna as she does the same to herself. You both get dressed in the bare minimum and walk through, Fluff about to close the portal behind you.

“Don't close that portal.” You tell him. “What's the big idea bringing us back when we're in the middle of something special?”

“A man just came back into active duty that nobody wanted back. Vikna may already know him, but I'm pretty sure you only touched lightly on-wait, did you say wife?” He asks.

“Not in the eyes of the US, but I put a ring on it yesterday.” You reply. “Who's the man nobody wants back?”

“There's only 3 people I can think of who retired and two of them were beloved members of the Katrician military.” Vikna replies groggily. “They'd never reactivate the other one. He's too much of a risk.”

“Think again.” Her dad says from the other corner of the room. “Sorry I missed it sweetheart, but I had to keep this maniac on a leash before he destroyed Siania.”

“No...” She says, her tone dropping to one of dread and despair. “Please tell me Radoslav didn't...”

“He had no choice.” Fluff replies. “At least, he didn't think he had one.”

“Who the fuck are you three talking about?” You ask, sick of everyone being vague.

“It's...Bhainen.” Fluff says.

“Bhainen...I remember that name from somewhere. Wasn't he one of your special snowflakes?” You ask.

“Really? You're going to do this now? On the brink of war, you're going to give me a lecture on making my own damn characters how I want them made? Well, whatever, you're right. I can safely say without a doubt that Bhainen was a mistake.” Fluff says. “A grave mistake.”

“Who is he?” You ask. “Exactly who, that is.”

“He's a man who they send in when nobody else can put a dent in the system.” Vikna says. “He kills everything in his path, neutral, friend, or foe. If you're in his way, you die. It's as simple as that.”

“I was pegged down to Kavkor because of him.” Mister Ramenskaya says. “I told him we needed to wait for reinforcements and he dropped me right then and there. Nobody questioned him and I lost my rank. I was lucky, most of the others lost their heads.”

“Dad...” Vikna says, walking over to him. “I'm so sorry.”

“So he's like some sort of insane anti-hero?” You ask. “Why the fuck would you put someone like that in a position of power?”

“I took him out of power after I wrote my comic.” Fluff replies. “Radoslav kept him tucked away somewhere remote where he couldn't do any more damage, but Radoslav needed a blunt instrument to crush the insurgency. Since the royal family isn't there, he thought it would be okay to let Bhainen do the job, but he slaughtered an entire town the first time he landed. He was immediately pulled out, but he's chomping at the bit to bet back in it.”

“Jesus fucking Christ.” You say, looking back at Vikna. “His sights are set on Siania, right?”

“Yes, at the moment.” Fluff says.

“Can you divert him to another planet?” You ask. “One with no population?”

“We did that. It's the only thing keeping him from killing everyone on Siania right now.” He replies.

“What am I supposed to do? Call down the god Emperor of the Marine Corps down on him?” You ask.

“Well, can you?” He asks.

“Mattis is retired.” You reply. “He's done commanding the Marines. He's too old to reenlist.”

“Could the president-”

“President?!” Ramenskaya asks loudly. “You said it was a militaristic government like ours!”

“Well, it is...” Fluff replies awkwardly.

“A democracy is not the same as us!” Viknas father continues yelling. “We are an autocracy! Only we have the balls to do what must be done! A democracy is too weak!”

“WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU JUST SAY?!” You ask in angry disbelief. “DO YOU EVEN KNOW THE HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES?!”

“I know that democracies have proven to be a terrible idea and never cohesively decide on anything!” He yells back.

“Do you know how many god damn wars our country has been in the past 270 years ALONE?!” You ask. “We fought for independence against an unbeatable world power and FUCKING WON! Do you know who that sounds like? Take a wild fucking guess! That's right, it sounds EXACTLY like Katric! We beat them back not once, but TWICE!”

“Jesus Christ Jack, calm down...” Fluff says.

“No, NO! I will not calm down! He's not going to call my country weak because it's not some galaxy spanning techno color furry bullshit! We may not have flying cars and FTL drives, but we know one thing, and that's WAR!” You yell, getting closer to the relatively short man. “We have fought in every continent, every condition, and every terrain! If it exists, we will kick its ass! We certainly won't bulldoze an entire planet doing it either!”

“Not only will the United States join the war.” Fluff adds. “The entire world might join our cause. Terrorism is something that the everyone has been fighting against and winning for almost 30 years now. The entire world banded together to fight off a couple of groups that threatened the world with attacks on peaceful nations. The entire world has always been at war.”

“No wonder they aren't star faring by now.” The Kavkor tells you. “Fine, your little outburst shows many things, but one of them is patriotism. I like that in a man.”

“To be fair, your civilizations are older than that of Earth's. You've had much more time to develop space travel than Earth has and they went from being space faring to landing on the moon in less than a decade.” Fluff counters.

“Maybe they'd be willing to help if they knew they were next.” Ramenskaya says.

As he says that, a message comes from your ear piece, which you had forgotten to take out. It was from the vice president. He actually agreed to meet in DC.

“Well, the vice president seems to want an audience with me.” You say. “How long can you keep him at bay for?”

“Only a few more weeks our time.” Ramenskaya replies. “Try and ask that captain of yours to go too. I'm sure he's got some pull.”

“I will, sir.” You say with a smile. “Don't worry, I'm sure they'll win the war.”

3 days later

You're sitting at a conference table, dressed up in full dress blues with a shaved face and head. Dick wasn't able to come, as he was reassigned back to help fight the war in Afghaninstan. The Vice President was sitting across from you, reviewing your request. He sighs, rubbing his eyes before looking up at you.

“Do you have any way to get that many units to this place they keep pouring out of?” The VP asks.

“Yes, sir.” You reply. “A portal network. It can take an entire division per day.”

“What kind of country are we dealing with here? Afghanistan sized?” He asks.

“This is an entire planet, sir.” You reply. “However, most of the people on the planet are just waiting for someone to take up arms against these men. We've also got an entire empire behind us, we just need someone who's not going to glass the entire thing.”

“A planet?!” He asks. “Jesus Chr-I didn't know it was this bad!”

“I don't know what to tell you, sir.” You tell him.

“Why should I send boys to die in a war that isn't even our own?” He asks.

“Because we're next.” You tell him. “These people on the other side have been getting stomped on the ground. Absolutely obliterated because they can't fight a ground war. Now they're sending in a man who is going to destroy the entire planet to get rid of the problem. I have fought against these people and took back a city with one squad. One squad! We went house to house for over a month and cleared out the city by inspiring people to fight back. Fight an insurgency with an insurgency.”

“He's right.” Vikna adds. “I've seen him work and your Marines are brutally efficient, yet not completely ruthless. If he's anything to go by, I believe that even something as little as 10 divisions assisting across the globe would inspire everyone on the planet to take back their home. Siania, unlike Earth, has a very formidable police force, but an almost non-existent military. Most of it is special forces dedicated to rescuing royalty and council members. Kind of like me.”

“You're special forces?” He asks.

“Only barely. Was able to pull my weight enough to get what translates to your language roughly as a 'tab'. I'm kind of useless in this world without my ma-”

“Power!” You interrupt. “Powered...armor!”

“What?” Vikna asks, confused before realizing what you were doing. “OH! Yeah, the powered armor. It's been a while since I've actually done ground operations.”

You look back at the VP and he nods.

“I guess that makes sense. You don't look like you'd be able to carry much.” He says. “No offense, it's just that I assume you're not exactly the strongest kitten in the litter.”

You put your hand to your throat and motion for him to cut it out and he nods.

“Well, uh, anyways, yeah. I basically acted as an advisor before I...well, it's not important.” You say. “What is important is that the terrorist cell from an entire country was crushed with...advice from me.”

“Sounds a bit far fetched.” He says.

“I wish I was joking.” You tell him. “I really do.”

You look down at the table, hoping he doesn't understand what you did. You feel yourself getting a bit light headed and push the thoughts away, not wanting to think about it anymore.

“What we're trying to say is, this war isn't just our war. You're being attacked by things your air force can barely repel, fighting an enemy that's more cohesive than any ragtag farmer could possibly be, and seems to be confident enough to use standard military tactics. The only thing that kept these people from destroying our entire planet was the inability to use our AI and the general inability to think around a 3D naval space.” Vikna explains, taking a bit of pressure off you.

“How do we know these people won't just turn on us or not do their part like the ANA or IRNA?” He asks accusingly. “How do we know they won't sit around and pick their noses like the other people we helped?”

You feel your face go flush as you try to contain yourself.

“These people, sir, are fighters. They're scared right now. Men, women, and children all hiding in their homes for fear of being executed. They're too scared to put up a resistance, but since Radoslavs troops moved in, resistance has been cropping up everywhere. People are taking up arms, former royal guard are commanding resistance cells all across the planet. They want to fight, but they don't know how.” You say, feeling yourself begin to crack. “These people, they want to be free! They want to know what it's like to wear their old clothes, not have their women stoned, not have their houses blown up by tanks, and be occupied by an opposing force! Sir, I beg, no, I IMPLORE you to at least consider this!”

“Calm down, son.” He says. “I know you feel for these people, but I don't have any of their leaders here to discuss it. Even a congressman would do.”

“How about a princess?” Ayn asks, drawing your attention to her before a portal closes behind her. “Sorry I'm late. I had something to take care of.”

“I do not believe I've met you before. What's your name, ma'am?” He asks.

“My name is Ayn Miyur, princess of the planet you're hesitant to assist. You can call me princess if you really want to, but I prefer Ayn.” She says, setting her staff against the wall.

“My name's Vice President David Kilnin. It's a pleasure to meet you Ayn.” He says, holding out his hand.

She chuckles at that and shakes his hand, her tail wagging a bit before she finishes.

“So, about the assistance we require to retake our planet.” She says, a voice that's much more stern than her usual voice being present. “What figures has my friend here proposed?”

“Well, the, uh, Kavkor has stated that 10 divisions of Marines will suffice.” He says. “However, we don't exactly have that many divisions of Marines.”

“I was about to intervene as well. We have 4 divisions of Marines Kavkor, first, second, third, and fourth. I think one division would be good enough.” You say.

“Well, who's going to command them? The Generals have all stated that they won't help these people, even if they want to fight with them.” The VP says.

The door to the conference room flies open, slamming against the door stop as a man in a suit walks in.

“Who the hell called me out of my god damn house at 2 PM in the afternoon to come down to a god damn government owned conference room in the middle of buttfuck nowhere?” The old man asks.

You look at his face and instantly recognize the man. He was old and looked like he had one foot in the grave, but otherwise was the same man you remember seeing all those years ago on TV. You rise from your seat and give the man a rigid salute, standing as still as a statue. This was probably the only time you were ever going to meet the legend.

“I did, sir.” Ayn says, getting up and bowing slightly.

He furrows his brow at her before looking at you.

“Put that hand down before I smack you, son. I haven't been in the military for over a decade now.” He says, prompting you to stand at attention as he turns back to Ayn. “Who the hell are you?”

“I'm princess Ayn Miyur of the planet Siania.” She replies.

“And I'm king Mattis of tutu fairy land, what the hell is that supposed to mean fuzzball?” He asks.

“I was merely giving you a title.” She replies. “I've requested you come here to ask you for help.”

“Help with what? Brushing your fur? I'm sorry sweetheart, but I didn't bring my comb with me.” He says. “Make it quick. I'm not a very patient man.”

“I wish for you to help take our planet back.” She replies. “I have looked at the Generals in charge of all of your Marine Corps divisions and none of them are interested in helping free my people.”

“Why should I care?” He asks, obviously not moved by her reasoning.

“Your planet has been under attack for the past year in parts of the world where terrorist cells were already present.” She says. “They want to take away all forms of technology and-”

“You mean those separator guys?” He interrupts. “The Army and Marines have this one covered. They can keep them back.”

“Sir, they are garrisoned on my planet.” She says. “They will keep coming as long as there are people, and we have more than just a few people in towels to worry about.”

“Where is your planets military? Are you really that weak that you couldn't repel a small incursion of rag heads?” He asks.

“We left before anything could be done-”

“You what?!” He asks. “What the hell were you thinking?! They'd just go away if you left them alone long enough?!”

“It wasn't my decision!” She yells back. “It was my mothers decision. It went unchecked for too long and now that we have the okay to do something about it, they're too strong for even a combined force from 3 planets.”

“How the hell did that happen?! Does anyone know how to fight a war in that place?” He asks, standing up much straighter than he was before.

“We haven't had a ground war in over a thousand years.” Ayn replies. “There's one man, but-”

“Why not let him do it?” Mattis asks.

“Because he'll kill EVERYONE!” She shouts back. “He's been known to kill his own staff and even Radoslav is afraid of him! THE EMPEROR OF A QUARTER OF THE GALAXY IS SCARED OF THIS MAN!”

“Settle down there miss-”

“No, YOU SETTLE DOWN!” She shouts back. “All of my people are going to DIE if you don't help us! Every man, woman, and child will DIE! Bhainen doesn't care who's on that planet, they're all collaborators in his eyes! My home, my people will all be turned to ash if you don't help!”

“Why is this my problem?” He asks.

“IT...it's not...” She says, realizing that Mattis doesn't care.

She drops to her knees, bowing to the man as he looks down in confusion.

“Sir, I will do anything for you to help my people.” She says. “Name your conditions.”

He looks back at the Vice President and cocks his head.

“Come on Jim. You've got a princess bowing and begging at your feet. Do us all a favor and help them out.” The VP says.

He looks back down at her before looking back to the VP.

“I'll do it, but I have a few conditions that need to be met.” He says.

“Name it.” The Vice President replies.

“I want the whole first division. Every single Marine. Send the bastards from the fourth to replace whatever's lost.” He says. “I also want to be on the field, not cooped up in Washington. I'll only take Major General and I'm not budging. I also want full reinstatement and pay. Whatever slack jawed dickless sunovabitch is in command is going to be relieved until this war is finished. I need supplies, adequate supplies. I want all my Marines to be fully kitted out in the latest gear available. Steal it from the Army if you have to, I don't give a fuck. I don't want to go into some space age world full of walking talking animals with sticks and stones.”

“You got it.” The Vice President says. “Anything else?”

“I want you to get the President to stop bothering me every time a war threatens to break out after this.” He says. “After this, I'm retiring for good, end of story. If I get one phone call, one email, one god damn mention of me being needed, I'm going to shoot the bastard myself.”

“I understand.” The VP says. “Anything you want to add?”

“One more thing, from you princess.” He says.

She gets off the floor, thoroughly excited that he's agreeing to help.

“Name it, sir.” She says with a smile.

“I want to speak with this bye...nen person. I want to look the monster who kills his men in the eye after I win a war he couldn't without glassing the surface with space ships.” Mattis says with a grin.

“I can make arrangements.” She replies with a smirk.

“Officer on deck!” You yell, snapping to a salute as you feel a slight bit of air rushing past your left hand.

He responds in kind, saluting you crisply before looking off to your left. He drops his hand and chuckles, walking over to your left.

“Weird salute.” He says, copying the two finger salute that Katric uses. “As you were. I'm going to check on preparations for our big liberation.”

Radoslav

2 weeks later Rishan time

Your servant clicks the pause button and Bhainen raises an eyebrow, his scarred and battered face showing no more emotion than simple intrigue. Your face also shows nothing, having practiced your “poker face” as the humans seem to call it. The video file was given to you by that human Jackson, recommending it as a way to ease your way into telling the monstrous man that he wasn't needed. This Mattis fellow though, he looked about as old as you've seen any human could get before shriveling up and dying. Well, time to speak on the matter at hand.

“So, as you can see, you're not going to be leading the invasion. You'll be supporting the foreign army as they take it a bit more gently than you might have.” You tell him coolly. “You will provide them with air cover only.”

“So you're letting some cut rate human lead an invasion that should be spearheaded by Katrician ground troops?” He asks, the thick and gravelly Katrician accent already wearing on you. “What purpose could it possibly serve to be gentle with these...pests?”

“I don't know about you, but I'm in the business of keeping my reign stable. How do you think it would look if I wiped out a planet mostly made up of scared civilians simply because there were a few bad men sitting on it?” You ask before answering yourself. “I'd look like I'm insane. Killing people isn't beneath me, but killing so many would be unforgivable.”

Bhainen rises to his staggering height, making his way toward you with the same blank look on his face. He makes it to you, his scars and disgustingly utilitarian implants becoming glaringly obvious. You get up, not wanting to look scared or weak in front of one of your Rooks, but he scares you very much. You hear the clatter of spears against armor as your guards begin to tremble at the man, not attempting to stop him. He lowers himself down to eye level, his lips raising in slight annoyance.

“I was willing to try it your way, hearts and minds and all that bullshit, but you spat on my face Emperor.” He says. “You used me like a doormat. If this general Mattis fails, I will glass the entire planet until it's nothing but ash. If I detect that there's even the slightest bit of incompetency, I will glass the planet with everyone on it, humans included. These insects deserve no pity nor mercy, but you're too soft to let a couple billion die to eradicate a threat to the entire galaxy.”

You feel your knees begin to weaken, but manage to keep yourself standing through force of will alone. His stare felt like it was sapping all the energy you had out of you. He was one of the most terrifying people you've ever met.

“You're way out of line Rook.” You tell him. “Get out of my sight before I have you sent away.”

He stands there for a second, continuing to stare into your soul before smirking.

“You're right, my apologies Emperor. I hope you can forgive my mistake.” He says, bowing slightly before getting off the floor. “I will be watching over these...men to swoop in and assist his majesty.”

You watch as he leaves the room, unsightly scars and the massive neural implant on his neck fading before he leaves the room. You feel your knees finally give, falling back into the chair as it bobs up and down. As you look down at your hands, they're shaking uncontrollably for the first time in nearly a decade. However, if this Mattis person was anything like Jack was, the war will take no more than 6 months with the peoples support.

Jack

5 days later

You're sitting on a bunk, stroking Vikna gently as she holds you close, both of you in uniform while you sit inside a room much too small for two people. She gave up her officers quarters to be with you when she learned that NCOs, both foreign and domestic weren't allowed after an incident with another Marine. Only 3 days in and one of the men has already tried to...no, they DID fuck one of the female crew. Word has it she liked it, but the AI and security didn't, hence the rule change. You're not sure whether to be proud or disgusted, as the enlisted and NCO fight for dominance inside you.

“Are you absolutely sure you can do this?” Vikna asks. “I won't ask you to do anything you can't do.”

“I'll be fine.” You reply. “I've got you by my side this time.”

“You won't go AWOL again, will you? I have the authority to put you in the brig if you try.” She says in a more serious tone.

“No, ma'am.” You reply before scratching behind her ears. “I won't go AWOL on my wife.”

“You promise?” She asks.

“I promise.” You reply.

“Docked at MILPORT 12-B. Nearest city, old world, er, ancient world? Whatever, it's an old district.” The SRK unit says. “Some of you human organics may feel right at home here.”

“How long are we going to be here?” You ask.

“About a day.” Vikna replies. “I...uh...never told you this because I knew you'd blame yourself, but Zofie's bakery got burned down a few days after you left. She shot the man who did it, but fire extinguishers weren't enough. Fire suppression fields were too late, to save it either.”

“Did she make it out okay?” You ask. “Is she insured?”

“Of course. It's illegal to run a business without insurance here.” She replies. “It's being rebuilt, but she's been working at the old deli by Nytro's house to make some money. Maybe you could lend a hand if you wanted a few credits to spend here.”

You shake your head, getting up and opening the door to the hallway. A couple Marines and ship personnel pass by and you make your way out, walking toward the exit that's being marked with holographic signs. You made sure to bring Zofies bag full of things with you this time, which was what you were planning to do on this port stop anyway. When you exit, you look down at a piece of paper you printed out at home. It was a low quality version of a sketch Fluff did, but you were able to make out the two sets of text, one being translated and the other already printed in a Latin alphabet. When you scan the translated set of symbols, it puts up a miniature HUD, pointing you in the right direction.

“Guess it's only 5 miles that way. Think we can walk there?” You ask.

“Yeah, I need to go for a walk anyway. Don't want to start looking like you, do I?” She asks.

“At least I won't blow away if a stiff breeze hits me.” You tell her.

“Whatever. Let's go get something to eat.” She says dismissively.

With that, you're both off to the deli.

2 hours later

You finally make it to the deli, having been walking at a pretty casual pace as you marvel at the apartments and old factory buildings converted into sleeping facilities. Everything was surprisingly clean considering how old the buildings looked, which was an even bigger surprise considering how many people are walking around. You walk into the deli, seeing a couple of uniformed Privates ogling the women around the shop. When you walk up to the counter, a very large horse walks out of the back, holding a slab of...blue meat?

“Oh my god! They have Tekiana steak here?!” Vikna asks. “I'll take a Tek steak sandwich please.”

The musclebound horse nods and grabs some bread, beginning to cut the freshly grilled steak into strips for a sandwich. When the blue meat is stuffed inside, he puts some onion looking things on it as well as some greens and what are most definitely tomatoes on it as well. He hands her the sandwich. She puts a credit chip on the counter and the horse looks up at her, pointing to a sign. Your translator doesn't need to work for it to read “Card reader out of order, Human dollars or physical credits ONLY” on the piece of cardboard. You turn around and he looks at you with a smile on his face. You sigh, looking back at Vikna before opening up your wallet.

“You owe me.” You say with a shake of your head. “How much for the sandwich.”

“Ten dallars.” He says in a booming, yet gentle voice. “Or is it dollars?”

“Ten dollars in cash.” You say, handing him a 10 from inside your wallet.

“You gonna order something too?” He asks.

“I actually wanted to give Zofie her bag back. She left it back on Earth.” You say, taking the bag off and setting it on top of the display.

He nods, grabbing the bag and lifting it off the counter before looking inside. He looks back up at you and closes the bag before turning around, entering the kitchen again.

“Go find a seat.” You tell Vikna. “I'm gonna go check on the Marines around here. I already see one with his cover on indoors.”

She nods and you make your way over to the man who has his cover on, crooked at that. He's surrounded by a Lance Corporal and a couple of PFCs, laughing at a joke that you must've missed. You put a hand on his shoulder, grabbing his and everyone elses attention. You point to the top of your head and he looks confused before realizing his cover was still on. He immediately takes it off, setting it on his lap as you chuckle.

“Just make sure you don't forget in front of an officer. I know one that'd kill you for it.” You say.

“You got it Sarge.” He says.

You nod and walk off to the table Vikna was at, seeing her already digging into the sandwich like the ravenous predator she was. Vikna was also the cutest little predator you've ever seen, which makes you smile gently. She sees you coming and swallows what she had in her mouth, waving you over. When you sit down inside the booth, she offers you a quarter of the sandwich she had sliced with her claws. When you pick it up, you push past your green eggs and ham phobia and take a bite, eyebrows rising briefly at the sensation. It was a great tasting sandwich, both sweet and meaty at the same time.

“It's good. Not ten dollars good, but good all the same.” You tell her. “I'm sure someone must've messed up the conversion somewhere.”

“Well, no use crying over ten dollars.” She says. “Besides, I think ten dollars is a small price to pay for a happy wife.”

When she says the last part, it makes your heart flutter like it usually does. Even after all this time, you never got used to it. Everything felt so much more magical now when you did it with Vikna. Even playing video games with her felt like you were playing for the first time all over again. That is, when she wasn't complaining about the weird controls or physical keyboard. You finish your small portion of sandwich before you hear skittering to your left, seeing Zofie nearly slam into the wall behind Vikna.

“You came back!” She nearly yells, getting the attention of a few tables around her. “I thought you were going to stay back home forever!”

“Yeah, I got called into the war.” You reply. “Not too excited to be patrolling a desert again, but I guess it'll have to do.”

“So, what happened?” She asks. “Nobody knows what went on outside of you two.”

“Ayn basically begged Mattis to not only come back to active duty, but to lead an offensive to retake her planet. It's not going to be too hard, since most of the people there want to be free as much as we want to free them. Hopefully we won't pull another OIF on them and have the population hate us.” You say, remembering watching the war on TV with your dad when you were young.

“Don't worry. Everyone there knows the alternative, as a digital message was given out as well as holographic projections dropped to those who are aug virgins.” Vikna tells you.

“Aug virgins?” You ask. “Odd name to give people who are augmentation free.”

“It's a peer pressure thing. It's like calling someone a, well, virgin.” She says.

“I see.” You tell her before turning back to Zofie. “Well, I just wanted to give your bag back, since you forgot it again when I told you to get it.”

“Thanks for that by the way.” She says.

Zofie begins looking through the bag, seeing everything is back where it is before you see Nytro sneaking up behind her. He puts a finger to his lips as she continues digging through the bag, trying to find something. When he gets behind her, he raises his arms before slapping them down on her shoulders.

“Boo!” He yells, causing her to jump in the air after dropping the bag on the floor.

She yelps before landing back on the ground, laughing before turning around.

“You're mean, you know that?” She asks.

Nytro is laughing as well before finally containing himself before responding.

“You make it so easy.” He replies. “How you three doing? I haven't seen you since crust miss.”

“You mean Christmas?” You ask.

“Yeah, Christ chess.” He says with a smirk. “You got a baby in the oven yet?”

“Nytro!” Vikna yells. “That's not for you to know!”

You turn back toward Vikna and give her a worried look.

“Do you?” You ask, worried she might've gotten pregnant after your nearly weekly sessions.

“No, I'm not going into heat until at least six months from now without medication. Don't worry, there's no chance for us to get a baby unless I take the pill or have a really bad heat.” She says. “Not that it's any of their business, but I figured I should tell you.”

“Thanks.” You tell her before looking back and see he has your sword sheathed in a scabbard on his hip. “How has it been treating you?”

“I actually dropped it off the side of the building and nearly shit myself when it barely missed someone, but it actually didn't chip. This is some witchcraft if I've ever seen it.” He says. “I've slammed it against the side of the roof and...actually cut the roof a bit. Don't tell mister Fengh though.”

“Tell me what?” A very VERY short and very old man says behind him. “That you cut my apartment with that sword of yours?”

“W-well...yes.” Nytro replies, looking down at the floor.

“You know, my sight is only non existent half the time, right?” He asks. “Oh well, at least you kept the bandits away during that uprising of hooligans.”

“Are you master Shifu?” You ask, noticing the hard light cane he's using as a seeing eye stick.

“I've had 2 other people ask me that today and I still have no clue who Shifu is.” He replies.

“He's a kung-fu master from a children's cartoon. You look nearly identical, except you have a bunch of augments.” You tell him.

“Well, I don't know about kung-fu, but I can certainly whack people with my cane.” He says, demonstrating by whacking Nytro in what would be his ankle if he had human feet. ”Very effective!”

Nytro pulls his foot up, holding the beaten bit in his hand as he hisses in pain.

“That's hot old man!” He yells before finally letting his foot touch the floor again. “Your old hard light model was recalled decades ago!”

“Eh, hasn't burned me once because I'm not the one being an idiot who needs a good paddling.” He says with a typical old man smile. “Let me see if I can get a good look at ya.”

He opens up his eyelids and the irises seem to flicker on, indicating his eyes must be working. You wave at him and he raises his bushy eyebrows at you.

“What are you?” He asks.

“Human.” You reply, holding out a hand. “Name's Jack.”

“I'm mister Fengh.” He tells you, grabbing a couple of your fingers with his own hand. “Thank you for taking good care of Zofie while she was gone. She's such a sweetheart and I'd hate for anything to hurt her.”

“Aw, mister Fengh...” She says. “Not in front of mein freunds...”

“Well, I've got some shows to go watch while my eyes are still on. Have a good one!” He says.

“I will, thank you, sir.” You say back, knowing he could probably hear a pin drop from a mile away.

When he makes his way into a smaller door set into a larger door, you look back at Nytro, whose fur is singed slightly.

“I hate it when he does that.” Nytro says. “Crazy old coot.”

“You shouldn't have taken a chunk off his roof.” Zofie says.

“Zofie!” A booming voice calls out from the counter. “We need you back here ASAP!”

“Coming!” She yells back. “Gotta go. Stay safe alright?”

“I will.” You reply.

“Same here.” Vikna adds.

She runs off past Nytro and out of sight, prompting you to look back at Vikna.

“You're sure about that heat?” You ask. “This war could drag out for almost a year if things go poorly and they start using guerrilla tactics.”

“That's slightly speciest.” She says with a bit of a disapproving look.

“Not gorilla, guerrilla. Hiding among civilians and shit. Not being actual gorilla anthros.” You tell her, hoping to clear up the confusion.

“Oh, I misheard you.” She says. “Well, I hope they don't resort to that. It could definitely get long in the tooth if they decide to be cowards.”

You nod and get up from the table, offering her your hand. She takes it, allowing you to help her up.

“Blue really is a softy.” Nytro says, having forgotten he was still here since he had moved out of your way.

“S-shut up.” She says, looking down at the floor. “At least I don't jerk off to anthroids...”

“Whatever you say.” He says with a smirk, walking toward the group of Marines before starting a conversation with them.

You take her along with you, walking out of the deli hand in hand. This war had better not last more than 6 months or you're going to be very upset.

5 days later

You were sitting inside the newly constructed tent with Vikna sitting next to you, watching as you clean out the pistol they gave you. There was no incentive for you to use it, as you had a much stronger pistol from Kaltag, but that doesn't mean you wouldn't clean it up for the only poor guy in your squad who had an M9. When you assemble the M17, you function check it and put it back inside the holster, locking it in place.

“It's so hot here. I wish they'd just give us the order to deploy in different areas already. I'm not made for this hot climate.” She says, having been cooling herself off with magic this entire time.

“You're not the only one.” You tell her. “However, I don't know what the officers are planning and how much longer they're going to plan for.”

You begin stripping down the 240 you tactically acquired from an armory back home. Luckily, this was only a copy, an almost perfect copy, but a copy no less. You hear the tent flap open and you see a First Lieutenant come in the tent, watching over you.

“Sir?” You ask, cleaning off bits of brass and carbon buildup.

“Just checking in on you Sergeant.” He says. “Wanted to make sure you're doing okay.”

“I'll be fine, sir.” You tell him, scraping the carbon off the sides of the bolt. “I made it this far, just a bit further and everything will be fine and dandy again.”

“Who's the girl?” He asks, pointing to Vikna.

“An asset, sir.” You reply.

“I believe you're supposed to call me ma'am.” She tells him. “Kavkor, er, Colonel Ramenskaya at your service Lieutenant.”

He stands up straight, popping a salute before she gives him a salute of her own.

“I'm an observer Lieutenant. I want to see how you work as a unit and see if I can apply this to our armies as well.” She says. “Try to keep your men from killing the locals, okay? We're here to save them, not murder them.”

“Yes, ma'am.” He says, standing at attention still.

“Dismissed.” She says, prompting him to leave the tent.

You continue finishing your weapon with a few scrapes of the brush you were holding, smiling when you look over at Vikna.

“Thanks ma'am.” You tell her.

“Stop it before I order you to kiss me.” She says as you put your weapon back together.

“I don't think there's any reason for me to stop.” You say, your face closing in on hers.

“I'm giving you a direct order to make out with me right now.” She says. “It's non-negotiable.”

You press your lips against hers, opening your mouth and pushing your tongue past her razor sharp teeth. Her tongue wraps itself around your own stubby human tongue, a moan coming from her as you set the 240 next to you. Maybe your corniness is rubbing off on her? Whatever, it only makes her even more cute. You both pull yourselves apart from each other and she giggles, wiping her muzzle off with her arm.

“So messy.” She says, wiping off your own lips.

“Sergeant, on your feet.” A voice says behind you.

When you turn around, it's a Captain. You get up and pop a salute, causing him to salute back.

“You're due for a team leader briefing before a larger company briefing. We're going to some forest area, so your friend here isn't going to need to air condition herself anymore.” He says, causing you to look back and see the frost on her fingers and fur. “You'll have time to fool around tonight. We're moving out in about 3 days.”

With that, he exits the tent and you look back at Vikna, smiling before she gives you a hug, cooling you down significantly.

“Thanks babe.” You tell her. “I'll be back in a bit.”

2 days later

You're sitting in an MRAP, much larger than any of the other ones you've been in before. They said they made improvements to troop protection against shaped charge IEDs and 155 cluster IEDs that ripped apart the first generation of MRAPs, so you were basically sitting inside a wheeled tank. The scene is familiar to you, as it reminds you of what you did back on Serko with Ayn and Vikna, both of whom were inside the MRAP with your squad. You tap Vikna on the shoulder and she shoots awake, having fallen asleep on the drive into town.

“I want you to stay safe and in the rear, alright?” You ask. “If you get hit, the morale of everyone in this truck will go down.”

“Why?” She asks.

“Biology.” You reply. “Keep that armor of yours on at all times. Including the helmet and tail protector. If we begin taking fire, ID targets and freeze them for us to take down if they try to run. Don't run up past me, since I'm not exactly going to be up front.”

You turn back to Ayn and see she has the heavy version of Viknas light armor on, helmet and everything. She has a soft tail protector that is said to be rated against rail guns, but you doubt her tail wouldn't snap if she got hit by one.

“Ayn, stay back from the enemy. I know you're best at beating the tar out of people, but you've been given a gun for a reason. Don't run forward or everyone might shoot you.” You tell her. “If you don't feel comfortable shooting anyone, that's okay. For right now our targets will be clearly marked and militaristic. That could change anywhere from a few hours to a few months from now though, so steel yourself to attack former citizens.”

“I understand.” She replies. “Not the best shot in the world, but I've used guns before.”

“Everyone else, your top priority is to eliminate any enemy combatants in old Iranian uniforms, old Russian gear, and red painted blue guard armor. The latter is a tough nut to crack, so ID and fire a Javelin at them.” You say. “Everyone understand?”

A cacophony of “Kill”s came from the rest of the Marines before the MRAP stopped, the driver and LT turning back.

“Everyone out of the truck now!” The LT yells. “Spread out and wait for the trucks to get to cover!”

You see Ayn open the door and hop out first, holding it open for the rest of the Marines as they all hop out. Every single one of them was sporting a brand new M27 or M4A2, the latter being stolen from Army units while the former had finally entered full service. You had a feeling that 5.56 wasn't going to be enough though, so half of the other trucks were all carrying EBRs and SCARs. The marksmen and snipers were kitted out with Katrician equipment and spotters so you weren't outclassed by enemy snipers, which made you feel much safer. As soon as everyone has exited, you form up on the LT as the vehicle backs up. After the MRAPs retreat to a safe distance, you cover while the LT lays out the plan.

“We're going to be moving in and clearing out the majority of the insurgents inside this town. Snipers have pinned all of them inside the houses for now, so if any of them-”

Before he can continue, a shot cracks overhead, impacting a window about a hundred meters away. A gun drops from the window, falling to the ground.

“We're going to clear out this town today and spread our squads out to lead and encourage resistance in this country to begin, well, resisting.” He continues. “Let's get moving Marines!”

“Rah!” You yell, getting up and following the Lieutenants lead.

“Haigs, our team is moving on this building here, the other three teams are moving in to secure those three buildings to the left. Can you swing that weapon around with any finesse?” He asks.

“Yes, sir.” You reply, following him to the house. “Want me to split-”

“CONTACT!” Vikna shouts, raising her arm as you see a column of ice freeze a man in place.

He was holding an AK in one hand and wearing red colored blue guard armor, so you aim and pull the trigger. Your MG rattles away, as does the Lieutenants rifle. When the ice finally shatters from all the gun fire, the man inside is riddled full of holes, no doubt completely dead. You look back at Vikna and she looks surprised by the brutality of the take down.

“We're here to kill the enemy, remember that.” You tell her. “Thanks for the save by the way.”

She nods and readies the rifle she was given, a small Mk.18 that looked like it was made back in the 90s.

“You want to take point?” He asks.

“Sure.” You say, making your way to the front of the stack. “You ready girls?”

“Ready as I can be.” Vikna replies.

“I'll try not to kill them if I can.” Ayn adds.

“Alright, 3...2...1...BREACH!” You shout, kicking the door in and seeing a man with an AK by his side. “DOWN ON THE GROUND! GET ON THE FUCKING GROUND!”

He drops to the ground and you check the left room, a small cache of weapons and ammo sitting in his kitchen along with a woman and a child.

“Are you the Americans they said would be here?!” He asks. “I'm part of the resistance!”

“Stay down until we can confirm!” You yell. “Vik, take the living room. I'll check the second story!”

You split up, waving the LT up out of instinct, though he should be the one leading. You back your way up the stairs, seeing a small boy holding a rifle above his head in what could be considered a surrender. You check left and right, seeing no open rooms or holes in the wall before ripping the weapon from his grip. He whines a bit, the small jackal trembling in fear as you make your way toward a door.

“Stack up, sir.” You tell him, pointing to the other side of the door.

He nods, and you open the door handle,kicking the door open and checking the entire room. A baby starts crying as you approach, checking the room for any hidden bad guys before walking out of the room.

“It's clear, sir.” You tell him. “I'll let you take point next time.”

“You got it Sergeant.” He says before getting on company coms. “Banshee actual, Banshee one-one, what's the status of the other team leads?”

He stands there for a second, nodding his head every few seconds before responding.

“Copy, sector one clear. Moving to sector two.” He says. “Banshee one-one out.”

10 hours later

You're moving into the last house Balik told you about, which was also one of the smallest. There were a few anthros tagging along as well, bolstering the size of your squad from 12 to 16. You let the LT take point, watching as he switches on his flashlight.

“3...2...1...breach!” He whispers loudly.

When he opens the door, you're inside right behind him as Ayn and Vikna both go left and right respectively. There was a man cradling some kind of weapon, shaking his head back and forth as he sits in an old Iraqi uniform. He's blubbering and crying, yelling in Arabic not to shoot, or what you think his yelling is supposed to mean. He drops the weapon as soon as you make your way to him, holding his arms up in surrender. They know they've lost and anyone who tried running was shown no mercy. Vikna even froze a man completely and shattered the ice, which you thought was a bit much. However, it was still one less bad guy to worry about, so it didn't matter to you. The LT secures the prisoner, Vikna and Ayn both yelling out the one thing you've been waiting for all day.

“Clear!” Vikna yells.

“Clear over here too!” Ayn adds.

“Banshee actual, Banshee 1-1, Banshee 1, 2, 3, and 4 have cleared the town. We have one more POW to escort back to main.” He says. “How copy?”

“We copy Banshee 1-1, good work today. I'm sure the MITS is fuming right now.” Banshee actual replies. “Good work out their. Actual out.”

You all let out a collective sigh of relief, the heavy fighting now over. The town was sizable, almost a mile in all directions, but an entire battalion of Marines made quick work of it. Most of the houses you entered in were friendly and the old blue guard were very happy to see Ayn. She promised to free all the people in this country, even if it meant dying to do so. Luckily, no men were lost in the fighting, only a few wounded by traps and wild AK fire. All of them refused to go home too, promising to return when their wounds heal, which is what you like to see. Mattis definitely chose the right division. You see Vikna cross in front of you, pointing at your plate carrier.

“What?” You ask, looking down.

You see a large caliber slug planted firmly inside the steel armor, which you had opted for over the lighter ESAPI plates made of ceramics. You take hold of it and give it a hard tug, feeling the lead scraping against the steel before you pull it out. It's lukewarm, suggesting it came from the last house. Guess he didn't miss. You drop it in one of her magazine pouches, causing her to chuckle a bit. She begins taking off her helmet and you put a hand on top of it, shaking your head.

“Not until we secure the surrounding area. Our relief should arrive in a few hours” You tell her. “I know it's hot, but it'll get cold real soon if this is anything like the desert I'm used to.”

“Is this what being infantry really feels like?” She asks. “This sucks.”

“I like the way this sucks.” The LT says.

“I wish it would suck more.” You say with a smirk.

“Pilots are probably saying it sure sucks down there.” The LT says with a full on smile coming on his face.

“At least the cable isn't out.” You say before chuckling. “Damn, that'd suck.”

You both chuckle a bit at that, the reference being lost on both Ayn and Vikna. When you're both done laughing at your shitty joke, you look outside. What little light was left from dusk was completely gone, leaving a black sky and a town without power. That is, until you see a couple flashes in the sky. You walk over to the window, going past Vikna and seeing a few more flashes in the sky, now being able to make out spacecraft duking it out in the sky overhead. You feel a soft length of fur make its way up your arm, wiggling a bit as you recognize Viknas completely exposed tail.

“It's gonna suck when that tail gets blown off.” You tell her. “Where's your soft armor?”

“I lost it.” She replies, probably lying. “Let's get out of this house. It's cooler outside.”

She opens the window and hops out, allowing you to follow suit. A flashlight is shone on you, before it's moved away, a Marine turning off his light. Vikna crafts a staircase made from ice, walking up it as you follow suit. It's surprisingly non-slip as you make it to the roof, seeing her lay down on top of it. She looks up at the sky and you lay down next to her, watching the flashes of light continue to blink in the night sky. She grabs your hand with her own and puts it over her chest, now at eye level with you.

“If this armor wasn't in the way, I'm sure right now would be a perfect time for a quickie.” She says.

“You're even more of a pervert than I am.” You tell her. “At least you don't look like one.”

She giggles a little bit before you hear the ice stairs shatter below you, having been broken by a large piece of ice crashing on top of it. Now you were both isolated on top of the roof. It was relatively flat and made of metal, but it wasn't the same kind of metal that was used on the buildings back on Katric. It was almost iron-like in feeling, but much smoother and stronger. The buildings themselves were adobe looking on the surface, but they had a more modern metallic interior with all of the accouterments you've come to expect from this planet. A holographic TV, hovering chairs, a food printer, holographic posters of various figures you do and don't know, and at least one picture of the royal family. You hear a massive thump on the roof and look over to he source, seeing Ayn standing in full armor. She takes off her helmet and you scowl.

“Kevlar, er, whatever the fuck metal that is. Put it back on.” You tell her. “We haven't cleared the perimeter.”

Ayn sighs, putting the helmet back on before laying off to Viknas side. You open up a pouch on your plate carrier, pulling out a set of goggles that you mount to a bracket on your helmet. When you flick them down, a bright green light assaults your eyes before they adjust, a picture perfect image of the night sky being filtered through night vision goggles. When you talked with the Captain about the battery situation, he laughed and said Mattis learned his lesson the first time. He made sure everyone was supplied with so many batteries that it would be impossible to run out before the next supply drop, even if they were left on the entire time.

“What are those things on your eyes?” Ayn asks, prompting you to look over at her.

“Night vision goggles.” You tell her. “Really low tech compared to what you guys must have, but it's still really cool to watch the ships go at it in low Sianian orbit.”

“Do you think any of those people tried to surrender?” Ayn asks.

“They're cowards.” Vikna says with disdain. “Any Kavkor who gives up his or her vessel to the enemy in exchange for their life deserves to be shot.”

“That's not the answer I was expecting from you.” You tell her.

“Every Katrician Kavkor is expected to take an oath never to surrender their ship. Anyone who does is labeled a coward and has their collar torn. It's nearly impossible to get past Initiate when you're labeled a coward, as it should be.” She says. “I would never surrender my ship. I'd rather die.”

“I remember you telling me you didn't care for your enlisted.” You tell her.

“They had no redeeming qualities, at least, the ones I had constant contact with had none.” She corrects. “I said I didn't understand you caring for enlisted who cause problems.”

“Well, you're pretty high up on the officer scale, so it doesn't surprise me that you wouldn't care about the enlisted who cause problems, but we enlisted men have to stick together.” You say.

“Yeah, I remember. Muh brotherhood.” She says, rolling her entire head.

You hear a crack fly past you from the snipers position about a mile back, slamming into the ground about 400 meters away from you. When you strain to look, there's a bush out in the distance that doesn't look natural at all.

“Banshee 1-2, Eagle 1, target neutralized. Stay safe up there kids.” An aging voice says over the radio. “He was eyeing you three up the whole time.”

“Thanks for the save Eagle.” You say, pulling out a cigar. “Tell you what, I'll give you 50 dollars cash if you can light this cigar in 2 shots.”

You hold the cigar up and see a laser pulse a few times on the tip. A second later and the cigar is nearly ripped out of your hands, a small part of it being taken off as the end of it's lit. You look over at Vikna with a smirk and she's looking back, astonished.

“Routinely make shots a mile out?” You ask. “How many times are they able to hit a target the size of a quarter at a mile out?”

“You got me. I'm impressed.” She says, looking back in the sky.

You chuckle, taking a drag of the cigar as you watch the fireworks above. The thought crossed your mind that thousands of people are dying up there, but at least you weren't behind their destruction. As Vikna said, they were cowards for surrendering their vessels in trade for their lives. You then see a bright flash go across your NVGs, an explosion sounding next to you as Vikna shouts with fright.

“I'm hit!” She yells. “My visor's compromised!”

You look out into the distance, getting your gun in position as Ayn crawls toward you. A laser was pointed toward the building you were sitting on top of, moving up toward you slowly.

“Sniper! Get down!” You yell to Ayn before getting on the radio. “Eagle, Bulldog 2-6, where the hell is that sniper?!”

“Bulldog, I have no idea who this is, but I'm assuming it's Banshee 1-2. I didn't see where it came from.” He replies.

“There's a giant fucking laser pointed at us! How can you not see it?!” You ask angrily.

“Keep the coms professional 1-2.” Eagle tells you. “I didn't even see you getting shot. I just saw you scramble for cover.”

“It's an invisible laser.” Ayn says. “Standard issue assassins tool. How did you even see it?”

“Can you see infrared light?” You ask in return. “Are your eyes able to see it? What about your night vision?”

“Yours can?” Vikna asks, poking her head up. “Detection equipment like that is usually reserved for vehicles.”

As she does that, a massive blast of light bounces off the top of the helmet, shooting off into the sky as if the helmet was some kind of mirror.

“KEEP YOUR HEAD DOWN!” You shout, physically forcing her head down as low as it can go. “Eagle 1 are you saying you can't see the giant laser being shot at us?”

“It's this night vision. I think it only amplifies visible light.” He replies. “If you can get some tracers on him, I'll try and engage him that way.”

“I'll do my best.” You say, taking your hand off Viknas head and unkeying the mic. “If you poke your head up again, I'm going to throw you somewhere safe. Understand?”

“Understood.” She replies.

“Give me your helmet.” You tell her.

“What, why?” She asks.

“I'm using it as a decoy.” You reply.

You hear a series of clicks before the helmet comes off, her handing it over to you. When you stick the helmet up, you stick your own head up and see exactly where he is. He takes the bait, going for Viknas helmet as it reflects a bit more before burning through. You get your gun read and take aim with your laser on, pulling the trigger.

RATATATATATATATA

Tracers rain down on the man whose only sign of being there was a laser. Your tracers cause him to miss his next shot, as you see a laser following your tracers. When the rounds begin impacting around the man who shot you, he's almost completely out of your effective range, being almost 1200 meters out.

“Got him.” Eagle says. “He's mine.”

You see a tracer zip past you, accompanied by a crack and an impact, making the laser droop down into the sand.

“Fire another shot just to be sure.” You key in on the mic.

Another crack comes above your head, the shot landing and creating the faintest of mist clouds, making you smile.

“Good kill Eagle. Banshee 1-2 out.” You say, keying off the mic. “So, you feeling a little bit cooler with your helmet being compromised?”

She looks over at you and rolls her eyes.

“Those things make you look ridiculous.” She says with a smirk.

You give her a crazy smile, pushing your lower jaw forward to make you look like a goon. That's when you realized you still had your cigar in your mouth.

“How 'bout now?” You ask with your goony voice.

“You're so stupid!” Vikna says before laughing. “It's not even funny.”

“Then why are you laffin?” You ask.

“I'm gonna smack you!” She replies, giggling a bit before sighing. “Let's just get inside.”

You nod, pulling yourself over the side before falling about 10 feet. You land hard, holding your arms out to Vikna. She drops herself over the side and you catch her, letting her down easy. The armor adds a surprising amount of weight to her, but she copes with it admirably.

“You ready to catch me?” Ayn asks.

“Sure go for it.” You say, rolling your eyes.

She hops down and when you catch her, you're thrown to the ground by the weight. Jesus Christ, what the hell is it made of? Lead?

She gets up off your arms and you look down, seeing your arms are scraped a bit, but you'll be fine. You see a glow appear around your arms and the wound heals itself, Ayn picking you up off the ground.

“Good try, but this armor weighs about 500 pounds.” She says. “Made it special for me.”

“Can't say I didn't try.” You say, dusting yourself off. “Let's get inside before I get my head taken off. I don't exactly have a helmet made of mirrors.”

2 hours later

You're helping everyone into the MRAP, all of the previously empty seats filled by kids of varying ages. When Vikna and Ayn are both inside the armored truck, you heft yourself inside, closing the doors and locking them shut. When you sit down next to Vikna, she leans her head on your shoulder, probably beat from fighting all day. When Ayn goes to take off her helmet, all of the kids inside gasp in amazement.

“Princess!” One of them says. “That was you inside the armor?”

“See, I told you she was a girl!” Another yells snarkily. “You owe me 5 credits!”

“Now children, remember where greed gets you.” She says in a sing song voice.

“Nowhere princess!” They all yell in unison. “We remember when you visited us 2 years ago! We all remember!”

“Good. I'm glad I left such an impression.” She says.

Vikna groans, nuzzling your shoulder as she tries to get some sleep in the noisy truck.

“Hey guys, let's all stay really quiet.” You tell them. “I hear that some humans can hear little children in trucks. You don't want them to hear us, right?”

“Aren't you a human?” One asks.

“I can hear you inside the truck too, can't I?” You ask.

“Well your inside with us!” He says accusingly.

You smirk and key your radio on, hoping the guys go with it.

“Banshee 2-1, Banshee 1-2, these kids think you can't hear them inside the truck.” You say over coms.

You turn the radio speaker up loud enough for them to hear.

“Oh is that so?” He asks. “Well I can hear you kids from all the way back here.”

The lights flick on a couple times, lighting the cabin up. Light discipline is obviously something these guys lack. You hot mic the radio and wait for the predictable response you'd give.

“Oh yeah? What am I saying right now?” He asks.

“You're asking what you're saying right now.” He replies. “Check mate kiddo.”

“No way...” He says, thoroughly baffled. “You humans are really scary.”

“Only some of us.” You say with a smile, unkeying the mic. “Now quiet down. We don't want anyone hearing you guys.”

He nods, sitting back in the seat before the cabin quiets down, some of the kids having already fallen asleep by now.

“Thank you.” Vikna whispers.

You rub her hair a bit, taking out the hair tie and letting it fall to its natural length. She begins purring gently as her entire weight now rests on your shoulder, making you smile. She could've...no, don't think about that. Those thoughts will kill your will to fight. You're doing this for her...for your sons. Ayn holds a couple of the kids close, petting them gently as the two jackals fall asleep. One is sucking on her thumb and the other is hugging Ayn's arm. She looks content to do this forever, earning a nod from you. Soon after, you feel sleep begin to nibble at the edge of your psyche, causing you to do one final check. Everyone is buckled in except you, causing you to do just that before sitting back in the seat. When you wake up, you should be back at a city Radoslavs forces managed to capture. That was when you realized you lost your cigar.

6 hours later

You're awoken by a gentle shake from Ayn, everything still dark. You're parked next to something flashing, which confuses you for a bit.

“We found a crashed escape pod from a Katrician ship.” She says softly. “The guys are checking it out right now.”

All the kids were asleep by now, not being awoken by her soft speaking. Vikna was still sound asleep, but she was laying in your lap now, which melts your heart. When you look outside, you can barely see anything, even with your augmented eyes. Instead, you flick down your night vision and see Marines approaching the life boat with weapons drawn. Men are seen leaving the back, dressed in Katrician gear as men escort them back to the MRAPs after a quick search. The females seem to take no offense to the searches either, which was very surprising. After this, you flip the NVGs up in time for someone to open the rear door. The one person you didn't expect to see out here steps into the back, making you cock your head.

“What are you doing here?” You ask quietly.

“I hitched a ride.” Nytro replies quietly. “I see you're in charge of the school bus.”

He then looks down at Vikna and smiles an uncharacteristically gentle smile for him, rubbing the top of her head. She begins purring in response, stretching herself out a bit before curling back onto your lap, rubbing her tail along your legs before letting it rest on her side. He finds a seat further up the truck, sitting down before the MRAP begins moving again. Ayn closes the doors that he forgot to close, locking them in place as the boy in her lap whines a bit. She pets the top of his head and he quiets down, a smile replacing the deadpan look she had on earlier. You feel yourself fall back asleep, knowing you'll probably forget all about this when you wake up. It just feels too surreal. You doze off quickly, laying back against the seat with your wife in your lap and 2 of your friends in your vehicle. This was the weirdest deployment you've ever been on.

3 hours later

You wake up to children filing out of the MRAP, their parents picking them up and holding them close as you rub the sleep from your eyes. Ayn was still sitting across from you, now asleep in the seat as she lays on the seat belt for support. You kick her leg gently and shakes her head gently.

“5 more minutes.” She says before rubbing the belt a couple time. “Just 5 more.”

“If you don't want to be stuck in a truck full of scared civis, I'd suggest you get up and get moving.” You tell her, undoing the seat belt before realizing Vikna was curled up on your lap. “Come on babe, time to get up.”

“I'm still tired.” She says, getting off your lap to reveal she wasn't strapped in. “Did I miss anything?”

“You missed your safety belt.” You reply. “What if we got hit with an IED?”

“You would've caught me.” She says with a smile.

“Well, yeah, but it's better to have one on than not.” You tell her.

“Come on, let's get out of this thing.” She says. “I want to sleep in an actual cot before I do anything else.”

“I'll help out where I can.” Nytro says, making his way through the back of the truck. “You're cute when you sleep like that blue.”

“Shut up.” She says groggily.

“When did you get on?” You ask.

“Last night, remember?” He asks.

You remember a fever dream where he forgot to close the door, but he's not stupid enough to forget to close the giant blast proof doors on an MRAP, is he? Well, whatever it is you needed to get up. Since Ayn wasn't budging, you kick her harder this time, spooking her awake.

“Whoa!” She yells. “I'm up!”

“Good, now get out of the truck, they're leaving soon.” You tell her, getting up and helping Vikna out of the truck. “Go on, git.”

Everyone else steps out of the truck and you grab your gear, stepping down and closing the door behind you. It begins moving off and you take off your NVGs, the light starting to come over the horizon. Didn't want to damage the tubes, so you put them back inside the pouch. Guess it was time to go back to sleep until you got yelled at to do shit.

1 month later

You're sitting in the dirt, feeling like dog shit as you test fire the new 50 caliber for augmented Marines. It was a bipod mounted deal with a pistol grip, stock, hand guard, and tripod mounts. It was more or less a response to the heavily armored Separationist guard that nobody could seem to dent without vehicle mounted weapons. Most of the Marines who were going to be issued this weapon were already very large, so light augmentation would only serve to help their combat capability. Everyone else refused the augmentations, as they've “seen movies where they get hacked” or some shit. Vikna just said they were paranoid and all augments have no back doors, reminding you that you could've just turned the TV off when ARA was manipulating the neural implant. All of this doesn't matter now, as you begin hacking and coughing for the...well, you've lost count now.

“You need to take a break.” Vikna says. “You're sick.”

“I'm not sick.” You say with a sniffle. “It's just the weather.”

“There's barely any pollen in the air.” She says, a line passing over your hands and arms. “Looks like you have a cold. I already got a cold vaccine this year, so I'm safe for you to be around.”

“I just want to train on this weapon.” You say, fumbling with the bipod a bit. “It's so cold here. Why is it so cold?”

You feel something push you up off the ground, a large pillar of ice standing where you once laid. You feel a set of arms wrap around your waist as Viknas tail rests on your shoulder. You turn around and she buries herself into your plate carrier, purring gently before letting you go.

“Come on, the sick bay has an antidote.” She says.

“For a cold?” You ask.

“You think we haven't figured out how to cure the common cold?” She asks. “We cured cancer almost 200 years ago.”

“Are there any side effects?” You ask.

“You need to be bed ridden for a day to let it work.” She says with a smile. “You won't feel weak or anything, you just need to be warm.”

“Well, I guess I could go to the sick bay and-”

“No, I'll give it to you in my hab.” She says, pulling you away from the gun. “Come on, let's go.”

3 hours later

You're both laying in Viknas rather soft and comfortable bed, holding each other snugly as you feel your nose clearing up by the minute. You were finally moved to the forested country to the north of the capital, going through a sort of spring season right now. Every female anthro in the area says it's messing with their heat and literally every Marine here has gotten ass because of it. However, Vikna said she wasn't really effected by it, but you know that's bullshit. If she wasn't in heat, she was definitely much more horny here. If it was possible, she had sex at least once every 2 days. People were starting to call you rabbit instead of squeak because of it, which you were equal parts okay with and not okay with. It got to a point once where she literally dragged you off the firing line to go fuck in the porta potty for 5 hours. It wasn't anything quiet either, it was loud as fuck.

Vikna begins rubbing you all over, trying her best to merge herself with you as both of you lay on the warm and soft bed, thinking about the war. It was going very smoothly, Mattis actually reclaiming land at an impressive pace. You remember one day you were on the absolute tip of the spear and the next day, you were almost a hundred miles behind the line. He was such an effective commander that he even got the men in the supply company to keep up with the main assault force, making sure nobody outran their supply lines. More Marines had joined in too, half of the second division now mixing in with the first to create one massive unit. You even saw a couple guys you knew from Afghanistan and Iran a few times, which made you happy. Vikna continues rubbing along your chest and legs, purring and cooing a couple times as she rubs her cheek against yours.

“God, I want to do it so bad.” She says. “This place is doing things to me. I-I need you to fuck me.”

“Vikna, I'm sick.” You tell her.

“I know, I know!” She says, removing a hand from your chest and moving it down to her crotch. “I-I-ah-need it so bad thoug-ho!”

“You said you're vaccinated against the cold, right?” You ask.

“Y-yes, please, I need you inside me right now!” She yells. “Oh my god, f-fuck!”

“I don't think I really have the strength to do that, but I can do something else.” You tell her, lifting yourself up off the bed.

“W-what's th-whoa!” She says as you flip her around like a ragdoll. “I-I can move myself you know!”

You look down at her panties and see they're already completely soaked so you remove them from her and let them hit the floor with a wet plop. Her fingers were rubbing against her slit as she looks back at you, moaning and whining in desperation. You see her cunt begin winking at you, much quicker than what you're used to seeing from her. This place definitely did something to her. You grab her ass with one hand and remove her fingers with the other, shoving your face into her minty pussy. Your tongue enters her folds and she spasms immediately, collapsing on top of you in a moaning, shivering mess. She's completely powerless to stop you, not that she'd ever do such a thing. You begin moving your tongue around her velvety insides, feeling her try and pull your tongue in further before clamping down hard.

“Did you jusht cum?” You ask with your tongue planted firmly inside her.

“Y-yes...” She says, blushing a bit. “M-m-more please...”

You continue moving your tongue and she squeals with joy, moving her legs around the back of your head to keep it in place as you continue licking up her minty fluids, feeling something shaky make its way to your zipper. Vikna unzips your pants before laying back down against your crotch, unable to go any further as you assault her candy flavored cunt with your short and thick human tongue. You always thought that having a bigger tongue would help in situations like these, being able to lap up more of her essence as...wait, what's she doing? You look past her ass and see her fumbling to get your semi-hard member free of your underwear, finally succeeding before she downs the entire thing. You groan, making her clench around your tongue and moan onto your cock.

“Mmm, s-so good.” She says shakily before downing your dick again.

When you move your tongue around, you finally find her favorite little spot, pressing up against it as she lets out a muffled cry. She's doing her absolute best to keep going, but eventually she lets go of you and lays back on the bed, a cute blue and white mess. You knead your fingers into her ass, the soft fur feeling great in your hands as she goes through her seventh orgasm, collapsing on the bed in a moaning and shivering mess. If you kept going, you were going to break her, so you finally pull back from the poor girl. She looks back at you with the slutty look you've gotten to know intimately this past month.

“You know, you may not be a huge slut for everyone else, but you're a huge slut for me.” You say with a smile.

“S-shut up...” She says, looking off to the side. “I-I just love you so much...”

“Vikna...” You tell her with a smile. “I'll make you scream it at the top of your lungs if you don't admit it.”

“O-okay!” She says, sitting up on your chest. “I'm a big slut for my hubby...”

“You're so cute.” You tell her, flipping her back around. “Come here.”

You push your lips up against hers and she goes limp in your arms, moaning into your mouth as she pushes her lengthy tongue inside. She rubs the soft piece of flesh around, licking up remnants of her own juices before she pulls back with a dopey smile on her face. She falls asleep a bit after, so you cover each other up and fall asleep with her in your arms.

1 hour later

You awaken to a pounding on the door, waking Vikna as well.

“Staff Sergeant, you in there?” A young man asks.

“Yeah, I'm busy.” You reply.

“It's really important. The Major summoned you to his office.” The man tells you.

Vikna sighs, rolling off the top of you and allowing you to exit the bed. When you get up, you stuff your dick back inside your underwear, zipping up your trousers and making yourself presentable. You smell like peppermint, but hopefully nobody notices. When you finish tying your boots, you look back and see Vikna covered up in a blanket, waving you off with a smile. You nod, opening the door to see a second LT standing at the door. You give him a salute and he smiles a giddy smile, saluting back. Poor kid probably never gets saluted in the office.

“Follow me Staff Sergeant.” He says, waving you along as you close the door behind you. “Do you have any peppermints?”

“Uh, no. I'm fresh out.” You reply awkwardly, thanking god that Vikna didn't smell like fish.

You both make it to the CP, stepping inside the massive clusterfuck of conex boxes before turning toward an office. He points you toward the office and you enter, taking your cover off and salute the man.

“Staff Sergeant Haigs reporting, sir.” You tell him.

“Sit down, Sergeant.” The old guy tells you, pointing to one of the chairs. “I've gotta talk with you.”

You walk forward and sit down in the seat, watching the Major type out the rest of whatever report he was typing. When he finishes, he turns back to you, a tired look in his eye.

“You know your service is almost up?” He asks. “You've got 5 days left before you're free.”

“Really, sir?” You ask.

“I'm being real with you, son.” He says. “You can finally go back home, even though that's what you've been doing for the past few years.”

You're ecstatic, almost dripping with excitement before realizing what this means. You'd have to leave Vikna behind.

“Is there any way to extend it?” You ask. “I can't just leave everyone here in the middle of a campaign.”

“Are you sure?” He asks, looking back at you. “You look like you've got a few screws loose.”

“I'm still plenty fit to serve, sir.” You reply. “I was the first uniformed Marine on the ground and I'm gonna be the last one out.”

He nods, leaning back in his chair a bit before coming forward, opening his drawer. He pulls out a packet that looks familiar to you, but you can't quite remember where you've seen something like this before.

“You're 30 years old, right?” He asks.

“29, sir.” You reply.

“Well, close enough.” He says. “Since you've proven capable of leading men in battle, you're going to be given two choices. The first one is I promote you to Gunnery Sergeant. You'll be attached to Captain Doneveu. He's the commander of the new forward heavy MG company. The other option is I promote you to second Lieutenant. You'll be in command of your own platoon and be in charge of your own men. This is the first time since Vietnam that such an offer has been extended, but being promoted to Gunny is the only one that'll give you a pay raise.”

“So, I can become an officer, or I can become a Gunnery Sergeant?” You ask.

“Yep, that's correct.” He says. “I got gold bars right here along with the chevrons for the other.”

“I really appreciate the offer of second Lieutenant, but I think being an NCO is a better fit, sir.” You tell him. “Besides, I'd never make it through college. Too many stupid kids these days.”

“Tell me about it.” He says. “Well, guess it's official. You've been promoted. Congratulations Gunnery Sergeant.”

“Thank you, sir.” You say with a smile. “Is there anything else you wanted to talk about, sir?”

“Unless you want to divulge what you were doing in that conex when I passed by, I'd say that about covers it.” He says with a smile, handing you the chevron set. “Have a good one 'Rabbit', dismissed.”

You feel your face go red and you take the chevrons meekly, chuckling a bit.

“T-thanks, sir.” You say, getting up and saluting him before fast walking out the door.

When you exit the conex complex, you hear a bunch of whooping and cheering coming from the rec area, seeing Ayn giving the men a show. Looks like she tactically acquired some Marine gear and was stripping pieces off as she danced around a tent pole. She sees you and blows you a kiss, causing the men to cheer as she keeps going. You shake your head and walk back to Viknas conex, which was about 200 feet from all the whooping Marines. When you close the door behind you, Vikna is stripping out of her bra, only now noticing you coming in.

“Hey!” She yells before realizing it's you. “Oh, sorry, I thought you were one of the idiots who came to me a few minutes ago. Didn't even realize my ice already melted.”

You look back on the door and see a wet spot on the ground, indicating there used to be ice on it. You look back and see her walking up to you with a smile on her face, crossing her arms as she looks at you.

“So, what did he say?” She asks.

“They said my service was up and told me I could go home.” You reply. “I said no because then I'd have to leave you here. So, he promoted me.”

“Really?! That's great!” She says, pulling you into a hug. “What's the rank?”

“It's called Gunnery Sergeant. Pretty fitting, don't you think?” You ask in reply.

“I guess so.” She says, letting go.

“Want to celebrate?” You ask, looking down at her nude form.

“You didn't want to dick me earlier, so you're gonna have to wait until I'm ready next time.” She says with a smirk. “Rub one out in the bathroom if you have to.”

“Well, can you at least put some clothes on before someone comes in?” You ask.

“Hmm...” Vikna says, putting a finger to her chin before smirking, knowing why you really wanted her clothed. “No. You'll just have to deal with it.”

30 minutes later

You finally finish stitching the final set of chevrons on your blues, smiling when they're finished. You hold them up, the sharp looking dress uniform accepting the new chevrons like they were made for it. When you're done admiring your uniform, you walk over to the closet and put it back, between Viknas 3 sets of uniforms and 4 sets of casual clothes. You turn back and see she's still very much naked, watching you with a toothy grin. You groan before hearing the door open, which makes your blood run cold. That is, until you see who it is.

“That was fun!” Ayn yells, closing the door behind her. “How are you two...doing?”

She looks over to Vikna, who gives her a chuckle before turning back to you with a knowing grin.

“So, what did you do to deserve being teased by her?” Ayn asks with a smirk of her own.

“I tongue fucked her into a blubbering mess.” You reply. “I was too tired to go full on with her, so now she's punishing me.”

“I said you could go rub one out if you needed to.” Vikna interjects, folding her arms. “You missed your opportunity to go to town on me.”

“So, what happened when you went into that office?” Ayn asks, taking off the helmet and plate carrier. “Looked pretty happy when you left.”

“I got promoted.” You reply. “It was that or leave you girls here to fend for yourselves and I just couldn't do that.”

“That's sweet of you.” Ayn says. “Well, I'm always available if she gives you the cold shoulder.”

“Uh, excuse me?!” Vikna asks, getting off the bed. “In case you haven't noticed, we're MARRIED. I'm not going to let some slutty doggy get her paws on my husband.”

Ayn makes her way over to you, causing Vikna to pounce on top of her, pulling her into a choke hold.

“Hey!” You yell. “Get off her! She was only joking!”

Ayn smiles and detaches Viknas arms from her neck with brute force, turning around as she lifts Vikna into the air. She has her teeth bared, growling as her tail flicks back and forth violently. Ayn chuckles at her display and puts her on the ground, sitting on her before crossing her legs.

“F-fuck off!” Vikna yells. “Get off me you fat slut!”

“You're just mad my figure is more shapely than yours sweetie.” Ayn teases. “You know that being husband and wife isn't a one way street, right? He's not supposed to only try and please you, you're supposed to return the favor.”

“I-I was going to! I was just teasing him!” Vikna yells back. “You're crushing me you fucking boulder!”

“It's not nice to make fun of a ladies weight, sweetie. Apologize!” Ayn yells playfully.

“I-in your dreams!” Vikna says, trying to push her off again. “God you weight as much as a carrier!”

“I don't hear and apology.” Ayn says in a sing song voice, letting more weight off her legs.

“Okay, I'm sorry!” Vikna says. “I can't breathe!”

Ayn gets up off her and Vikna takes a deep breath in, gasping for air as she holds her bare chest.

“You're not wearing any underwear dammit! Now I smell like a rotten fish!” Vikna says. “I fucking hate you!”

“Hey now, that's not very nice.” She says, walking back to Vikna threateningly.

“If you keep walking I'm going to freeze you!” Vikna says.

“That's worked every time you've done it.” Ayn tells her, continuing to advance.

“Oh my god, I can't even tell one joke!” Vikna yells. “Just go away already!”

“Alright, don't say anything about me until I leave or I'll force you down while Jack nails you from behind.” Ayn says, smiling as she slaps Vikna with her tail before turning to you. “See you later sweetie, she'll be all over you in about 5 minutes.”

Vikna looks as confused by this as you are before she touches her chest and smells the liquid that comes off her fur. Ayn holds up a small bottle and chuckles, stuffing it back inside one of the magazine pouches in the stolen plate carrier. She takes all the gear with her and closes the door behind her, hearing Vikna growl.

“That's fucking CHEATING!” Vikna shouts after her. “I was going to do it anyway!”

“What was that?” You ask. “Some kind of aphrodisiac?”

“It's called one shot.” Vikna says, laying back down on the bed. “It's called that because it takes one shot to get any female anthro hornier than anything else in the world. It also takes only one shot of cum to sate the effects. It's really only used when the female party wants to do it, but has no real desire, even though I HAD A DESIRE YOU STUPID WHORE!”

“So all I have to do is...do it with you once?” You ask.

“Yeah, don't sound so apprehensive you faker.” She says with an eye roll. “Get over here and rut me already. I can feel it starting to kick in.”

She bends over the bed, her slit already winking and leaking visible amounts of fluid from inside. Vikna looks pouty now, probably having wanted to tease you more. You could easily go the low road and tease her back, but you were kind of horny from her botched blowjob an hour ago. You begin removing your pants, Vikna beginning to pant as she rubs her slit with her tail, splaying herself over the bed. The fur surrounding her groin was now soaked in her fluids, which only made you even more erect.

“Hurry up, please.” She says, whining a bit. “I n-need your dick so fucking bad.”

You make your way over to her when you're out of your pants, dropping your underwear before she slams her ass onto your dick. You groan and Vikna moans, spasming around your dick as she tries to milk any precum out of you.

“H-hurry, I don't want anyone opening the door.” She says, beginning to move since you apparently weren't going fast enough.

You grab her hips and begin pumping into her, not wanting to wait either. You didn't care if she came, she already had her fun today. Not to mention she teased you for half an hour when you were stitching on your chevrons. You feel your dick begin to tingle, the feeling spreading up your body as you let out a very not manly moan.

“I-it spreads too!” Vikna says with a smile. “Now you HAVE to cum inside!”

“O-oh my god, f-fuck!” You manage to get out as you keep pumping faster. “I'm already close!”

“G-good!” She says. “Keep going faster!”

You keep letting out the most unmanly moans you've ever uttered, muffled wet slaps being heard between your crotches. Vikna clamps down harder than you've ever felt before, shaking violently as her tail wraps around your waist. This was enough to push you over the edge, groaning as you pump a surprisingly large and leaky load into her. What really surprises you is that it doesn't stop, you just keep cumming and cumming. Vikna really enjoys it though, continuing to milk every single drop as it comes. She spasms again, an after shock causing her to continue pulsating against you. The cum was now leaking down her leg as you finally finish, falling back on the floor with a loud thud. Vikna was still attached to you and panting heavily, putting a hand on your cheek before pulling herself off. An ungodly amount of spunk pours out of her wet snatch, causing her to whine a bit before flipping over. That's when you realized you're still hard.

“H-how did-ah-I do that?” You ask.

“You don't want to know.” Vikna replies, kissing you gently. “All I'll say is there's still spunk in your balls. Now it's time for something a little more...natural~.”

Vikna slips herself back onto your dick and you groan, holding her back tight as she kisses you again, keeping her lips pressed against yours as she rides your cock. You weren't going to complain. This was hot as fuck. You feel an electric feeling creep up your spine, hearing her moan into your mouth as she begins to go faster. You hold onto her for dear life, feeling like you were going to fall if you let go. She chuckles at this and takes her lips off yours.

“You still act like a virgin even after all this time.” She says sweetly. “It's so cute.”

She plants her lips back on your own and continues moaning inside as she gives you some of the best sex in your entire life. It feels almost as good as the night you two did it after proposing, and that's an achievement. Her folds do their best to flatten your cock, but you're hard as a rock right now. Nothing short of fully laden warship could even put a dent in you. Vikna rubs your leg up and down with her tail, the soft tip of it rubbing up against the top of your foot. Vikna pulls away and you both take a deep breath, her moans now unconstrained by your lips. The pleasure keeps rising slowly, your entire body feeling the pleasure of sex for the first time in your life. Is this what she feels like every time you do it?

“W-what-ah-what's this f-feeling?” You ask.

“Your entire body feels good, right? After effect of the potion.” Vikna says with a smile. “I forgot how-nnf-good this stuff is. I'd thank Ayn, b-but that's what she wants.”

You pull Viknas head back in place, her lips contacting yours as her squeaks and moans are contained again by your mouth. She begins to pick up the pace, the pleasure increasing sharply as you groan. Moments later you feel yourself about to burst, grabbing her hips and slamming them down hard. She squeaks with surprise and you feel your entire body lose control, shaking violently as it was your turn to cum hard. You moan and groan into her mouth, feeling her spasm as well. You feel it begin to taper down before another wave hits, making your dick pulsate even more. Cum begins leaking out of her again as you tremble from that orgasm, too weak to even move. Vikna removes her lips from yours and you both gasp for breath again. She tries to pull herself off, but you push her back down, feeling yet another aftershock wrack your body, causing Vikna to laugh.

“This is your first aftershock, isn't it?” She asks.

You're too weak to even move your head, continuing to pump more man milk into her overflowing snatch. She giggles and lays herself back down on you, rubbing her soft body on your chest before closing her eyes.

“Now you know how-ah-I feel.” She says. “I think Ayn mixed One Shot with Switcheroo lite. At least that's what I assume since I don't have a...you know what, I'm not even going to continue. Just ride it out.”

You feel a small aftershock make you twitch, pumping one final time into her before she kisses you.

“I love you.” She says. “I know you love me too.”

All you can do is nod weakly before you tremble again, blowing a tiny load inside Vikna. She respond by kissing you, feeling the pleasure finally plateau before dropping sharply. You go limp, feeling her rub her entire body against you as you come off the high of the weirdest orgasm you've ever had. When you finally come back down off it, you let out a final moan before blacking out.

5 hours later

You feel like you're floating on a cloud right now, well, half of you anyway. When you open your eyes, it's light outside and your crotch feels...crusty. When you look down, you see Vikna sleeping soundly on top of you, curled up in a ball. When you move a bit, she stretches out, digging her claws into the floor before her eyes shoot open. She immediately puts her claws away, getting off the top of you before you feel a bit of a soreness in your back. You remember now that you fell back from the earth shattering orgasm you experienced. Holy shit that was hot. She walks off to the bathroom and comes back out with some wet wipes, setting them on the ground by you.

“Wipe yourself off. I need to take a shower.” She says, walking back into the bathroom and closing the door.

You sigh, pulling your shirt back down before opening the box of wet wipes. After you've finished wiping your balls and dick off, you wipe off your crotch and throw the wipes in the trash can. Water is heard striking the walls of the bathroom, the small room being a combination shower and toilet area. It was weird to you, but you've seen small houses with the same set up before. It was a shame she didn't invite you in, but you knew you wouldn't both fit inside and she had fur. You had skin that could be wiped off. When you get up off the floor, you pull the underwear around your legs up before walking over to your pants you tossed to the ground. After you're fully kitted up, you get your Kevlar and plate carrier on, tightening the Velcro before walking over to your 240. You should probably be reporting to the Captain, but you're gonna wait until Vikna is done washing herself.

“Hey, if you have something you need to do, go on and do it. I'll find you when I'm done washing off my fur.” Vikna says inside the shower, seeming to read your mind.

“If I'm not back in about an hour, call for Banshee 1-2 over the radio!” You yell. “See you!”

You exit the conex and see men in uniforms you don't recognize, unloading supplies from trucks you don't recognize either. When you walk up to them, they're wearing armor systems that are familiar to you, but you can't put your finger on it.

“Oi, you there!” A man yells down from the truck. “Mind helping us unload all this shet, since it's mostly yours anyway?”

“Wait, Brits?” You ask, grabbing a large crate.

“Oi! Don't grab that, it weighs-”

You take it off the edge of the truck and the weight is considerable, but nothing you can't handle.

“Where do you want it?” You ask. “What's in here anyway?”

“About 20 artillery shells.” He replies. “You sure you're okay mate?”

“I'm fine, as long as they don't drop.” You tell him. “Bring them over to the ammo dump?”

“Uh, sure.” He says.

“I'll be off then.” You say, hoping to help out the limeys with their cargo problem.

30 minutes later

You finally make it to the heavy MG company, looking around at all the big dudes using chopped down M2 Brownings and M82s with heavy looking ACOGs on top. A large man sits at the end of the tent, 2 black bars adorning his helmet. The man looks up when he hears you approach, a large scar going across his face. He smiles when he sees you, prompting you to salute.

“No saluting in the tent Gunny.” He says. “Congrats on the promotion by the way. I'm Devin and you must be Jack.”

“Uh, yeah.” You say, off put by his friendly demeanor.

“What, were you expecting me to be some stereotypical asshole?” He asks with a chuckle. “I'm only an asshole to the space hadjis.”

You hold out a hand and he shakes it, letting go after a hardy shake.

“Headless 1-1, Overlord, how copy?” The radio in the corner of the tent asks.

Devin makes his way over to the old looking radio and keys it on.

“Overlord, Headless 1-1, go ahead.” He says.

“We need you to send 2 of your boys along with a platoon of grunts. Those new heavily armored guards have the men spooked.” The Major says with a tired voice. “You got any men available?”

He looks back at you and you nod, watching him key the mic again.

“Yeah, I'll send 2 of my guys out. When are the men headed out?” He asks.

“In about 4 hours. Bring night patrol gear.” He replies.

“Alright, will do.” Devin says. “1-1 out.”

He sets the mic down and turns to you laughing.

“You can take Rico with you. I'm sure he wants to go out and shoot some dudes.” He says, pointing to a dude in some new camouflage pattern you don't recognize.

“You can count on me.” He says, carrying the chopped 50 on his shoulder. “You handle the long Ma Deuce, right?”

“Yep.” You say, keeping the 240 across your stomach. “Just need to put this back in the conex before I go.”

“We got M61 in the trucks. Keep it, never know when it could come in handy.” Devin says. “Have fun you two. Try and keep the LT on a tight leash for me. I'll introduce you to my squad later, but for now Rico will have to do.”

You get a call on your ear piece and answer it, having seen Viknas picture come up.

“Where are you at?” She asks.

“Talking with some guys. I'll be back in a bit after I get everything I need loaded into a truck.” You reply. “We'll be leaving in about 4 hours.”

“I'll be tagging along.” She says.

“Mind if the Kavkor tags along? She likes keeping an eye on me.” You say with a smile.

“I don't mind.” He replies. “They should have room in the super MRAPs.”

“Thanks.” You tell him. “Yeah, they said you could come.”

“Oh they did, did they?” She asks, unamused. “You know I'm a higher rank than even the commanding officer on base, right?”

“It's common courtesy in Earth's military to ask the operations commander for permission rather than just barging in with your rank. That's a good way to have all the officers hate you.” You reply.

“I guess you're right.” She tells you. “Love you.”

“Love you too.” You tell her back. “Bye.”

You hang up and Rico begins chuckling to himself.

“One of them there furries.” He mocks before laughing. “Don't worry, I found myself one of those jackal girls. She knows how to party let me tell you what.”

“I'm gonna go put my shit in the truck.” You tell him. “I also gotta grab a long 50, since I left it out on the range after...well, nevermind.”

“Holy shit, is that why they call you rabbit?!” One of the enlisted asks. “Dude, I'd kill to get as much ass as-agh!”

“Shut the fuck up Carl.” One of the Sergeants says. “Sorry Gunny, dude's fresh out of SOI.”

“Nah, he's fine.” You say with a nervous laugh. “Yeah, she's good to me.”

“Well, you might want to go pack some more ammo. You'll be riding in the middle vehicle, and they don't put a ton of guys in the middle.” Devin says. “Same with the rest.”

“IEDs?” You ask.

“Civilian transport.” He replies. “We keep the MRAPs mostly empty so we can transport civilians to a processing area.”

“Thanks for clarifying, sir.” You say.

“Please, call me Devin or Cap. Sir makes me feel old.” He tells you.

You nod, turning around and walking toward the entrance of the tent.

6 hours later

You're sitting in a darkened MRAP, barely able to see Vikna and Rico inside the troop carrier. The road was less than ideal, as there are plenty of roads that were unpaved by the government. Luckily, the DUKE was working as intended, detecting IEDs and the signals used to detonate them before jamming the device. There were 2 attempts on the MRAP and each time Vikna asked what the noise was. You didn't feel like telling her, since you didn't want to scare her. Rico clears his throat before speaking.

“I think I remember where I know you from, ma'am.” He says, having been called out on calling her Vikna. “Do you know who, uh, FluffKevlar is?”

“I...do?” She asks apprehensively.

“Rico.” You say, hoping he'll stop.

“Holy shit, it's actually you!” He yells. “I remember when I saw that comic about all of you girls!”

“Rico...” You try saying again.

“I thought you were pretty cool when you kicked the shit out of that group of baddies!” He says. “It was fucking wicked!”

“Um...t-thanks.” She says, looking down at the floor.

“Rico.” You say with a bit more force.

“Do you and Zofie really like each other?” He asks. “Like lovers? I saw you gave her some tongue.”

“N-no!” She says. “I-I'd never!”

“Rico!” You yell.

“I thought you really...shined...in the second one she did. I think you finally did it with Nytro.”

“S-stop...please...” Vikna says, blushing so much you could even see it in the low light. “I'm not made for porn...”

“RICO!” You shout. “Shut the fuck up!”

“What?” He asks. “I'm just trying to make conversation.”

“What you're doing is making her uncomfortable. I know what you're talking about and that's not something I want brought up.” You reply. “Come here Vikna.”

She undoes her seat belt hurriedly and makes her way over to you, pulling you into a desperate embrace.

“I-I'm not just for porn...” She says on the verge of tears. “I'm my own person...right? You don't just like me because I have sex with you, right? I-I'm a m-military officer who did a lot of good things, right?”

“Yeah, you're your own person.” You tell her, pointing to the front of the truck. “Rico, you sit in front. I don't want you back here until we stop.”

“But-”

“THAT'S A FUCKING ORDER!” You scream, getting the attention of the entire truck. “I need to undo what you just did.”

He unbuckles his seat belt and crawls through the MRAP, making it to the front and buckling up again.

“Come here sweetheart.” You tell her, stroking the back of her head gently, as to not undo the bun she put her hair in. “You've done so much more than being a piece of ass. Remember when you saved my leg? I'd be stuck with a peg leg if it weren't for you.”

“Y-yeah, I remember that.” She says with a chuckle.

“You're not just tits on a page babe. You're so much more.” You tell her. “Don't let anyone else tell you otherwise.”

“Dude, you're a weirdo.” Nytro says in the front. “I don't care what comic I was in and I really don't care who I had sex with in said comic. I do know who's going to mess you up if you don't shut up.”

“Rico! Fuck off with the FluffKevlar shit!” You yell to the front. “We're on the clock!”

A bit after you say that, a massive explosion shakes the MRAP, spooking Vikna.

“IED!” You yell. “Are we hit?!”

“No, it was the lead vehicle!” Nytro yells. “Holy shit that explosion was huge!”

“Probably 155 bundles!” You yell before calming down and taking in the environment. “No incoming gunfire, probably just a mine left out at night.”

“Headless 1, Gopher 3 is hit. Our truck is toast.” A man says over the radio. “We need one of the MRAPs to come and tow ours back while another picks us up.”

“Headless 1 copies all, you're free to ride in our truck.” You say, flicking your NVGs down and keying off the mic. “Stay in here and buckle up. Could be more IEDs.”

You open the rear of the truck and look around, seeing 10 men moving down the line as one of the MRAPs from the rear moves up, doors open as a man attaches a large tow bar to a hitch on the rear while it's in motion. You begin helping men aboard, watching them make their way to the front, a few having cuts and bruises from being tossed around.

“Welcome aboard the party bus.” You tell the last man in, closing the door.

“Thanks for the save.” He tells you, prompting you to close the doors.

When you sit back down, Vikna sits next to you and begins purring ever so slightly.

“So, what was that thing you were going to talk to me about?” She asks.

“Oh the dream?” You ask in reply. “It was actually just you and Nytro hanging out at a lakeside cabin. Lots of guys I used to know were there too.”

“Who's Frank?” She asks. “I heard you say his name too.”

“Uh...give me a second to think...” You say, trying to remember the dream. “I think I accidentally called Nytro Frank for some reason.”

“Who's saying my name?” Nytro asks.

“Come to the back of the bus!” You yell up.

You see him moving to the back of the truck, his eyes both reflecting different amounts of light as he makes his way to the back. When he settles in across from you, he buckles his seat belt and looks around.

“So, what were you saying?” He asks.

“Was talking about a dream I had last night.” You reply. “You and Vikna were talking with some friends of mine at a lakeside cabin.”

“Is that what that was?” He asks. “I think I remember that. Were you asleep for a while at around 5 PM?”

“I think so. I don't really keep track of the time unless I need to.” You reply.

“Have we ever been linked before?” He asks. “Only time I could recall that being possible were when your leg got cut off.”

“I don't remember anything around that time. If you can think of something really violent, involving racist caricatures, and being borderline edgy, it's probably from me.” You reply. “Anything come to mind?”

“Yeah, all the stuff you showed me through your implant.” He replies with a bitter look.

“Wait a second, why are you even coming?!” You ask, realizing he wasn't even supposed to be here.

“It took you this long to notice?” He asks. “Well, I wanted to check on blue. Red wouldn't leave me alone about it and Rei can never get a hold of you.”

“What the hell were you doing on board a Katrician ship?” You ask.

“Assisting the combat teams before we took too much damage to continue fighting.” He replies. “They may not be too savvy with naval warfare, but they are really aggressive on foot.”

“Sounds like Chechens.” You say with worry. “Guys are hard as nails. Pretty much equivalent to our Army in terms of training and combat skill.”

“Jesus, they can match you guys in combat?” He asks.

“Not us.” You say with a chuckle. “We're Marines, not Army.”

“Right, I forgot.” He says with a roll of his eyes.

“Well, thanks for telling me, I'm going to radio it in.” You say, keying the mic on. “Eagle Actual, Headless 1-2, can you patch me in to Overlord?”

“Copy Headless, you're patched in.” Eagle replies.

“Overlord, Headless 1-2, you copy?” You ask.

“Go ahead 1-2.” The Major replies.

“We have evidence of Chechens in the area above us and possibly in the town we're about to assault. Do we have CAS up and running yet?” You ask.

“You've got 2 Vipers ready for tasking 1-2.” He replies. “CAS channel is channel 21. I'll run it up the chain.”

“Copy Overlord. Headless out.” You say, keying off the mic before looking back at Nytro. “Thanks for the intel. I guess you can stay.”

He chuckles, laying back before pulling his sword from his scabbard. When he starts sharpening it with a whet stone, you unbuckle yourself, pulling your 240 from the rack above you. After guessing what size plates he might use, you grab a large plate carrier and hand the two items to him.

“What are these for?” He asks, putting the sword and whet stone away.

“We're not anime super heroes. We're Marines.” You reply, handing him AP belts. “We aren't all going to bayonet charge because some idiot wanted to bring a knife to a gun fight.”

“Tell that to the checkems.” He says.

“Alright ladies, we're here!” The driver yells. “Egress and link up with the main force!”

“You know how to use that thing?” You ask, unbuckling yourself before opening the rear door up.

“I remember you nagging me when we went shooting on Christmas.” He replies. “I'll load shiny side down this time.”

“Can you see very well?” You ask, helping Vikna out of her seat. “I don't know how it is with your eye situation.”

“I can see well enough to shoot, if that's what you're asking.” He replies, obviously disgruntled.

“I don't mean your different eyes, I mean your night vision. Do you have some bullshit sci-fi contacts or can you see on your own?” You ask. “Just asking because I have some NVGs on the shelf.”

“I can see on my own, thanks for your concern.” He says, softening up a bit.

You hop down the truck, landing hard after being loaded down with 92 pounds of gun and 150 pounds of ammunition. You almost feel bad for Rico, probably not having his bones reinforced and only being given slight muscular enhancements. When everyone is out of the truck, you close and lock the door, banging on the back as the MRAP moves off to the roadside.

5 hours later

Another town full of scared civilians. Nobody knows where the terrorists went off to or why they left, but they said they ran as soon as they heard an explosion. You're sitting in the kitchen of a very sweet old couples home, weapon laid out on the floor and ammo laying next to it. A cup of unidentified liquid is place on the counter, the cup hovering slightly above the table. Nytro is eyeing a younger female, who the man said was his daughter. She merely smiled and looked back toward the TV, having been watching it when you knocked on the door.

“We're so glad you're here mister Jackson. We saw you on the holo-screen all those months ago in an interview and knew you'd help us too.” The old woman says before pouring tea into Nytro's cup.

“I'm glad to be here.” You reply. “It feels good to be in a familiar surrounding rather than a desert.”

“I can imagine.” She says with a smile. “My husband has been chomping at the bit to go after those nasty men. He was former blue guard and was in while the queen was still a princess. She was so sweet back then. This was all before something terrible came over her. She abandoned us, but we hear the princess convinced her to change her mind. How did that go?”

“Well, Jack here-”

“I didn't really do anything. Ayn found some sort of mind control thing by her and managed to break it. I was really only there for moral support.” You interrupt. “I helped keep the blue guard at bay.”

“Whatever you say.” Nytro says with a roll of his eyes. “Hey, I know this might be rude to ask, but is your daughter alright? Where's her husband at?”

“He died in the fighting to defend our town.” She says. “You kind of look like him, if it weren't for your fur and eye color. He was a hybrid and had scars similar to yours. Sweet as anyone can be.”

“I'm sorry, I didn't know.” He tells her. “I won't mention it again.”

“What was your name again?” The woman in the living room asks. “Nytro, wasn't it?”

“Yeah, I'm sorry about your loss.” He says, ears lowering a bit.

“There's no need to be sad, come with me. I wish to show you something.” She says, turning off the TV before getting up. “Please, come with.”

Nytro looks at you with a confused look and you shrug.

“Well, she asked you to go with her. I'm not gonna stop you.” You tell him. “Have fun looking at pictures or something.”

He nods, looking up at the elderly wolf. She smiles gently at him before he gets up, drinking the rest of his tea before moving toward her. She drags him up the stairs, giggling as his ears fold back, realizing what she's doing.

“Poor dear, she's been so lonely for the past few months.” The woman says. “I'm sure your friend will treat her right.”

“I'm sure he will.” You tell her, drinking the rest of your tea too. “Thank you for the tea, ma'am.”

“It's my pleasure.” She says. “Have a good rest of your night. Can you do an old lady a favor and stay the night? I'm sure they will be coming back soon.”

“I'll put a word in.” You reply. “Have a nice night, ma'am.”

“You too.” She says as you pick up your M2.

10 minutes later

You finally meet up with Vikna and a group of Marines, all standing outside a bar that was cleared an hour ago. She notices you approach and looks very happy to see you.

“Thank god you're back.” She says. “I was worried you were taken.”

“The town looks pretty clear from what I can see.” You tell her.

“Wait, where's Nytro?” She asks.

“Some chick dragged him off to her room.” You reply. “Her mother said he looked just like her late husband. I he didn't look too comfortable doing it, but I wasn't going to stop him.”

“That's the first time I've heard of him being reluctant to bang.” She replies, opening up the door to the bar. “Buy me a drink?”

“We're on the clock. No drinking.” You tell her. “Orders directly from Mattis.”

“Damn.” She says. “Well, I guess I'll just get some soda instead.”

You hear some pianos playing inside the bar, a few men dressed in old blue guard kit talking at a table while a few more men are sitting at the counter. The song being played is oddly familiar to you, making you feel hopeful. You recognize it and remember the name and listen to it, humming along as you hear it.

“What's the song?” Vikna asks.

You smile, clearing your throat as you go further down into the mixed tech basement.

“Tis the song, the sigh of the weary,  
Hard times, hard times, come again no more,  
Many days you have lingered around my cabin door,  
Oh hard times come again no more.” You sing in a slightly over the top accent.

The piano player looks back with a smile and continues playing, a bit louder this time.

“There's a pale drooping maiden who toils her life away,  
With a worn heart whose better days are o'er,  
Though her voice would be merry, 'tis sighing all the day,  
Oh hard times, come again no more.” You continue at a more confident volume, continuing to walk down the stairs.  
“Tis a sigh that is wafted across the troubled wave,  
Tis a wail that is heard upon the shore  
Tis a dirge that is murmured around the lowly grave,  
Oh hard times come again no more.”

The rest of the guys behind you were following along, boosting your confidence even further.

“Tis the song, the sigh of the weary.” You continue.

“Hard times, hard times, come again no more!” Some of the men in the bar shout jovially.

“Many days you have lingered around my cabin door.” You sing some more.

“Oh hard times come again no more!” The men behind you sing for you.

“Oh hard times...come again no more.” You say, making your way to the bottom steps.

The few people inside the bar begin clapping, including a couple of the blue guard. You take a bow, raising yourself up and walking up to the pianist. He was an old goat with a large beard and horns to match, watching as you approach him. When you reach him, he holds out a hand and you shake it.

“Great singing there boy. Same with all you fellas who sang with him!” He yells in a strangely Scottish accent, the men all yelling heartily. “What's the name of that song I was playing?”

“Hard times come again no more.” You reply. “It's an old song from almost 200 years ago.”

“One of your human friends was playing it on a guitar and gave me notes for my piano. I can't read common, so I never understood what it meant. I just know he played it on his last day before...well...biting it.” The old goat tells you. “Died defending our little town from those bastards. By god if I was any younger, I'd have torn them all to shreds. Poor kid was just trying to adjust to life with his wife. Reverend even married the two of them and gave him full citizenship.”

“I'm sorry to hear.” You tell him. “Name's Jack by the way.”

“Name's Ar'bela. People call me Arby though.” He says with a smile. “It's strange that you have that name. He said that was his too. You guys planning on staying the night and keeping or little town safe?”

“I'll see what the others think before I decide anything.” You tell him. “I'll stay alone if I have to.”

“I appreciate it.” He says. “Go have a drink. They don't just serve alcohol you know.”

You nod, making your way over to the bar, sitting next to Vikna as she drinks down soda.

4 hours later

You're sitting on top of a roof top, having borrowed a folding chair from one of the older guys who said he “doesn't believe in that hover shit” or something akin to that. Vikna was sitting against the back of the flat roof, trying to find something to do. While you keep an eye out.

“I could use an extra set of eyes if you're not too busy doing nothing.” You tell her, watching the road.

“I already looked.” She says. “There's nothing there.”

You grab a set of PVS-7s and attach a large lens to the front, flipping up your normal NODs and taking a peek through the magnified version. There was definitely movement about 1000 meters away, well within range of the 50, but it was night time. On top of the fact that you couldn't positively ID the target, you didn't want to wake anyone with unnecessary gunfire.

“Come up here and look at this.” You say, getting her attention. “Scan the treeline over there.”

She gets up from the ground and you hand her the PVS-7, watching her find the target quickly.

“I see movement.” She says. “Way out there. Probably 900 meters or more.”

“I judged it at about 1000 meters, so it seems to add up.” You say, keying your mic on. “All Gopher and Headless units be advised, we have some movement about a thousand meters out. Bearing is 221 from vantage point Echo.”

“Copy 1-2, we see it too. Looks like only one man.” A scout says. “We'll keep an eye on him.”

“These things are making me nauseous.” Vikna says, handing the NODs back to you as her pupils expand. “I feel bad for all the guys who are still wearing these.”

“Yeah, me too.” You say.

“I'm coming up!” Nytro yells up before you hear a thud behind you. “I heard you see someone in the treeline.”

“Yeah, take a look.” You say, handing him the magnified NODs.

He takes them and you pick up an IR laser, turning it on and pointing to the area where the man was lurking.

“I see the laser.” He says, prompting you to turn it off. “Yeah, it's just one guy.”

He takes the night vision off and looks at it, smirking a bit.

“This looks so ghetto, it's cute. Mind if I keep it?” He asks.

“Not really mine to give away.” You reply. “However, guys lose that kind of stuff all the time. I'll probably get heat for it, but whatever. If you lose it, you lose it.”

“Alright.” He says, fiddling with the thing before figuring out how to turn it off. “Guess I'll stay on watch with you two.”

All three of you sit around for a while, Nytro using the magnified night vision to keep an eye on the moving target while scanning the surroundings. It goes on like this for almost an hour before you finally decide to speak.

“So, how'd it go with her?” You ask.

“Oh god, I felt terrible.” He says, taking the goggles away from his eyes. “Kept calling me Deij the whole time. She just wanted her husband to plow her one last time. She cried for an hour after that on and off. Didn't even get off me the entire time, so I had to try not to blow for an hour every time she shook.”

“Fucking rough.” You say. “What'd the old man say?”

“Didn't say much. Just told me I did the right thing.” He replies. “Gave her some closure and helped with her heat, all that stuff.”

“Is that where you both went?” She asks. “I thought you went to secure a part of town.”

“We did.” You reply. “A lady offered tea and we accepted.”

“It could've been poisoned!” Vikna yells.

“Well, I let him try the tea out first.” You say with a smirk.

“Whatever.” He replies, rolling his eyes. “You're so full of shit you're bursting at the seams.”

“So this is what being a ground soldier is like?” Vikna asks.

“Yep, lots of waiting around and doing nothing.” You reply. “Just talk to pass the time until something interesting happens.”

“At least we're not running around with rifles this time.” She says, sitting back down on the edge of the wall.

“Yeah.” You say absent mindedly.

“Coming up.” You hear behind you.

When the man rises to the roof, you recognize him as Dick.

“Ho-ly shit.” You say with a smile. “How the fuck are you man?”

“Doing good Gunny.” He says. “Congrats on the promotion.”

“We're on watch right now and I lost my PVS-7s, sorry about that.” You say.

He looks back at Nytro, who's still scanning the area with the magnified NVGs. He looks back and you shrug.

“I don't know where they could've gone.” He says. “Mind if I join you on watch?”

“Sure thing, sir.” You reply. “More pairs of eyes are always better than less.”

He makes his way over to the edge, posting up on the ledge before getting comfortable. He was wearing some sort of panoramic night vision that you've seen in video games before. He then notices the fact that there's a 50 caliber on the roof alongside around 600 rounds of ammunition.

“Why does that M2 have a stock on it?” He asks.

“Because 5.56 isn't always good enough here.” You reply. “Most of their soft armor can stop a few rounds of it and almost all of them are wearing soft armor of some kind. This doesn't even begin to mention how heavily armored some of the Separationist guard is. Not even the snipers could touch them without getting inside 500 meters.”

“How is that?” He asks.

“Because they're using hyper velocity projectiles with small mass. Pretty much rail gun velocity coming out of a powder driven rifle.” You reply. “I think it was 100 grain going at about 3000 meters a second.”

“Jesus, that's flying.” He says. “How can a fifty defeat something that can take a hit like that?”

“By throwing so much mass at them it breaks their ribs and cracks their armor.” You reply. “It's as brutal as it sounds.”

“I figured as much.” He says.

“Coming up.” You hear before a massive thud shakes the roof you're on. “Sorry I'm late, I was preoccupied and had to take another truck.”

“Since you're here, I've got some news for you all.” He says. “Did you hear about the call to arms?”

“No, why?” You ask.

“Some NATO countries are calling out at least one division from their branches to help fight the war on the ground. The UK brought in the Royal Marines, The US is actually bringing in the entire third corps into the mix with all its shiny new stuff, and Russia of all people are sending the first guards tank army to help.” He says. “Apparently they've been getting attacked by terrorists too, but chose to keep the events out of the public eye, as they usually do.”

“So we're going to have space furry Russians fighting alongside actual Russians?” You ask, looking at Vikna with a smile.

“That joke was never funny!” Vikna yells before crossing her arms.

“Maybe a little.” Dick says with a chuckle.

“Okay, maybe it was a little funny.” She says with a smile.

“All those people are coming in to help my planet?” Ayn asks. “I...I don't know what to say.”

She moves toward the Captain and takes off her helmet, getting really close to his face. She then steals a kiss from him, making Dick blush like a school girl. When she pulls back, he wipes his lips off and clears his throat.

“Well, that was...different...” He says.

“If you ever get lonely, I'm all yours. Anytime, anywhere.” She says with a stern look. “You humans deserve nothing less than my adoration.”

He chuckles, rubbing behind his neck awkwardly.

“Well, some of us less than others.” He says. “Thanks for the offer.”

“Any time.” She says with a smile, putting her helmet on straight after.

“Anybody else coming in? I'd like to see some Russian special forces fuck some shit up.” You say.

“I hear they're bringing in Spetsnaz too. We're bringing in SEALs and Green Berets as well.” He replies. “I saw a couple SEALs on the way here. Russian troops are coming through a portal as we speak.”

“God I fucking hate SEALs.” You say, leaning back in the chair.

“What's wrong with Seals?” Vikna asks. “Did one try to take your penguins or something?”

“They're so...I don't want to say what I usually say, but they're so obnoxious and pompous!” You yell. “Fucking pricks always go for movie deals and write books about their special snowflake adventures in sandlandistan about how heroic and badass they are. At least Green Berets know how to keep their mouths shut and not get trapped on top of a mountain while trying to win another god damn Medal of Honor.”

“Are we talking about the same Seals here?” She asks.

“I'm talking about assholes who are basically glorified sappers repurposed to be America's golden boys.” You say, gripping your hands tight.

“He had bad run-ins with special forces when he was a young man.” Dick says. “Granted a lot of them are assholes, but he has a special place in his heart dedicated specifically to hating them.”

“They took all the credit from us when we did all the fucking work in Afghanistan!” You yell. “They did NOTHING! They sat and bossed us around the entire day while acting like huge fucking jackasses when we made the tiniest mistakes! Then they all got fucking congratulated while absolutely no thanks was given to us! What the fuck man?!”

“Holy shit he's really mad.” Nytro says.

“God damn right I'm mad! I'm not gonna let those...fucking assholes ruin another god damn Marine operation!” You yell. “We worked for this! WE ALL WORKED FOR THIS! These fuckers are just going to roll up and be like 'hey, we did the thing and are really cool and special' and then it'll be another god damn mission led by the FUCKING SEALS!”

You toss your half empty water bottle down into the street, watching it explode on the pavement as you realize just how heavy you're breathing right now.

“Hey, calm down Gunny.” Dick says. “You're too young to be ranting like an old man.”

You sigh, laying back in the chair.

“I'm sorry, I just fucking hate those assholes.” You say, getting up. “I'm gonna go pick up my bottle now.”

With that, you walk off to the ladder before climbing down, walking to retrieve your bottle.

6 hours later

The sun is finally coming up, no enemies attacking all night. The relief platoon came last night, but there weren't enough people in the town who were of any age to fight. All of them had died off trying to fight the Separationist menace. The SEALs came and went, having tried to gain access to the town without a briefing or proper clearance to even be on Siania. You were drop dead tired and felt like you were going to die if you had to do one more patrol around this town.

“Alright, let's mount up!” The platoon lead yells. “Everyone back to the trucks! Third platoon has the area on lock down!”

You sigh with relief, finally able to go back to the truck and sleep. When you make it to the truck, you heft yourself up the steps and help Vikna inside. Dick decided to take another truck while Rico was shooed away when he tries to board. Ayn and Nytro hop aboard as well, sitting next to each other before Vikna takes her place next to you. Ayn closes the doors and you lay back in the seat, falling asleep as the truck starts up.

Vikna

3 hours later

You're sitting in the back of the armored truck, Jack resting his head on the shoulder strap for the harness while you look around. Sianian countryside was a beautiful place, the capital much less so. It was a large city that ran in a semi circle toward the front, unlike the relatively small palace on Serko. It was so odd being on a foreign world fighting for a foreign power. Guess this is what Jack must've felt like his entire military career, or at least part of it. You look back down at your holographic pad, looking at a satellite image of the Sianian capital, which was laid out like half an onion.

The city construction is what puzzled you most, as it used a sort of layer system instead of scattering housing around like everyone else does. The outer layer is comprised of the general nobility, which was an oxymoron, but it was the term Ayn used. After that is the general politicians who vacation in the area when they're not ruling their respective regions. The middle district was dedicated to high level guards and mid nobility, people who have served the queendom and want to live in peace close to the palace. The innermost district was where the upper nobility and highest ranking military personnel, most of whom are completely useless and have never fought or planned a war in their lives. This is where the palace is located, the royalty only spared because of the queens paranoid preparations.

Before you could continue your thoughts, you see a couple tanks and wheeled vehicles moving down the road, which made you smile. There were reports of enemy armor about 50 miles away and Jack had said the tanks they were using stood no chance against an, uh, Abraham's? You should really try pronouncing the names he gives you more often, as that certainly isn't the way you heard him say it. The soldiers, or Marines as he has so often pointed out, are all talking about how they never saw action before and that this is relatively boring compared to the training they received. What kind of training do they go through that they'd think clearing buildings under fire is boring? You hit a bump in the road and the truck shakes, waking Nytro and Ayn.

“Did we hit a mine?” Nytro asks groggily.

“Just a bump.” You reply quietly. “You can go back to sleep.”

“Okay.” He says, laying his head back on Ayn's thighs.

She gives him a gentle smile and begins stroking his hair, causing him to purr. She had stripped out of her armor, revealing she was wearing something a bit more modest than a dress that shows off more leg than you do. It was a sweater Jack had given her on Christmas eve along with some loose fitting pants that look very soft to the touch. Ayn sees you looking and chuckles, adjusting her sweater a bit. You look to the front of the truck and see a man sitting on a seat attached to springs and shocks, which Jack had said was so his spine wasn't broken in the event that an improvised explosive detonated underneath you. All of the seats around the cabin were built the same way, on springs and shocks that helped absorb bumps as well as they do explosive detonations. This was also the reason he recommended you use your harness as well, as the vehicle is top heavy and prone to tipping if turned too hard or an off center explosion caught the vehicle and flipped it. Ayn soon fell back asleep as well, resting her head against the seat rest instead of the wall, as Jack had gotten on her about this. You see his communications device begin ringing and pull it from his ear, cleaning the peace off with your uniform before bringing the awkward cup to your ear.

“Hello?” You ask.

“Oh, hey Vikna.” Rei replies. “Where's Jack?”

“He's asleep right now.” You reply. “We're just leaving a combat zone.”

“He took you into combat?!” Rei asks angrily.

“I chose to go into combat.” You reply, gritting your teeth. “I'm staying safe if that's what you're worried about. The armor you designed is very capable of stopping whatever they fire at me.”

“Well...don't run off into a fire fight wildly, okay?” He asks.

“Okay.” You reply. “What's the nature of the call?”

“We're bringing a ship over to act as a beacon for the teleporter, as a division a day isn't working for the russians or the united kingdom. I told them it was the best I could do unless I got permission to use the Capitol ship. It's the only ship with the reactor capacity to power the device.” He explains. “It will also act as a place for all of you to go on leave when you get it.”

“Well, I'm glad that nobody will authorize that.” You say. “The Capitol ship is the pride of the Katrician navy and would never be used in combat.”

“Unless, of course, in times of crisis.” Another voice says in the background. “Don't worry my little Kavkor, I have weighed the risks and rewards of the situation and have decided it is definitely worth the risk.”

“Yeah, what he said.” Rei adds. “Sorry, what his majesty said.”

“You're fucking joking.” You say, pulling the ear piece away. “This is some rakatov bullshit if I've ever seen it.”

“Hello?” You hear faintly. “Vikna, you still there?”

“Yeah, I'm here.” You reply, putting the earphone to your ear. “So, does this mean my friend...er, ARA is coming along?”

“Of course. She was actually the one who gave me the idea for the reactor problem.” He replies. “I'm sure there's at least one port large enough to handle the vessel this size in the areas we've captured.”

“I believe the men have started calling it the ackbar space center or something ridiculous.” You tell him.

You hear Rei chuckle on the line.

“She called it the ackbar space center your majesty.” He says a bit quieter. “It's an Earth joke.”

“I see.” He says back. “Well, I'd laugh if I understood it, but I don't.”

“Understandable your excellency.” He says before the volume gets a bit louder. “We'll be there in about 10 hours. Hopefully Bhainen kept his end of the bargain and cleared a corridor for us.”

“I'm sure he's done more than that.” You tell him with a hint of disdain. “I'll tell Jack when he gets up.”

“Alright, goodbye. As above.” He says.

“So below.” You finish. “Goodbye.”

You hang up and put the earphone back on his ear, the helmet he was wearing barely having enough room underneath it to fit the entire thing inside. When it's back in place, you get a good look at your boy-no, your husband now. Have to remember that. You hear a couple popping sounds by his hip and see his fists gripped white knuckle tight. When you look at his face, it's strained and borderline angry looking. You put a hand on his face and begin rubbing it against his prickly face. He relaxes visibly, his hands unclenching and his face turning back to one of contentment. Once again, you banished his nightmares from his dreams, as he has done for you many times in the past.

“Sleep tight.” You say, rubbing the back of your hand against his face. “We'll get you help when this whole thing is over.”

You look down at the ring he bought you for...Christmas, wasn't it? Yes, that's definitely how he said it. It was beautiful, nearly matching your eye color perfectly, being just a bit too pink to match. You nearly had a heart attack when he proposed, having not seen it coming this soon. If you had to figure, you thought he'd spring it on you after the war was over, but he went straight for it, which was absolutely fine by you. It made you so happy that you couldn't wait for whatever passed as a honeymoon on Earth, so you did it the same night. It felt better than just about any sex you've ever had, the only time besting it being when you and Det did it on graduation day. Still, there was a certain magic to doing it with your husband as opposed to doing it with a boyfriend.

Speaking of sex, you've heard troops beginning to call him “rabbit” instead of “sarge” or Gunnery Sergeant. You've been feeling weird all month, being almost perpetually horny until a few days ago when it finally dropped off. Some days you'd only do it once, others you'd do it once every few minutes until you both passed out from exhaustion. You know people outside could hear too, since you heard them laughing and whispering to one another. One time when Jack finally passed out, you made your way outside and told the men who were standing outside off violently, hitting them with ice batons until they ran away.

The truck stops and you look back outside, seeing you're inside the base again. There were men in different uniforms from the ones Jack wore walking around, some wearing balaclavas while others wore blue and white striped shirts. The truck stopping seems to wake him up, your hand still rubbing against his face gently. He pushes into it a bit before undoing his harness, getting up. He kicks Nytro and Ayn with a bit of force, spooking them awake as he opens the rear hatch.

“Holy shit, are those russians?” Someone asks.

“If I see one person get into a fight with the russians, I'm going to kick your ass. Got it?” He asks, looking back at the men.

“Yes, gunny.” They tell him.

“Good, now let's get out of this truck. I'm still dead tired and want some sleep.” He says, helping you out of your harness. “Come on Vikna, let's go get some sleep.”

He hops down from the rear of the truck and you do too, the fresh air making you feel a bit less stuffy than you did before. A large man in an odd alternating green pattern uniform comes up, his head cocked while looking at Jack.

“I you know.” He says in very VERY broken Katrician. “You are of who?”

“I Jackson am, you are who?” Jack asks in a somehow more broken Katrician. “Russian good not.”

“Ah, I see.” He replies in common. “I remember your face. You were in Iran, no?”

“I was.” He says, still confused.

“I am Igor Sevlonski. I was part of the spetsnaz division that helped you fight in the mountains.” He says. “We swapped weapons for the day.”

“Oh, Igor!” He says, holding out his hand. “I thought I'd never see you again, you big bastard!”

“Feeling is mutual friend.” He says. “I asked people if they knew you and they said you were a hero. What did you do?”

“I didn't really do much.” He says, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

“He played a huge role in keeping the peace on my planet.” You say. “I'm Kavkor Vikna Ramenskaya by the way. I've been called the Slav of the base, which I hear means something to you. It's a pleasure to meet someone who speaks Katrician...somewhat.”

“You mean Russian?” He asks, you realizing Russia was a place, not a thing.

“I guess that's why it was so broken.” You reply. “Yeah, Russian.”

“Speak can I Russian anytime.” He says with a grin.

“Ugh, god, please don't.” You say, the way he says it giving you a headache. “I prefer common, or as you all know it, English.”

“It's okay, I'm multilingual.” He says with a smile. “How about you two come for a drink? We have Vodka in the back of our truck.”

“Vodka?!” You ask excitedly.

“I see she is truly worthy of being called Slavic!” He says with a thunderous laugh.

“Sure, I'll share a drink.” Jack says. “I'm kind of tired though, so only a couple shots.”

“Of course my friend.” He says with a smile. “I heard the fighting was very rough.”

“It wasn't too bad.” He replies, not knowing if he's lying or being modest. “The place we came back from only had one incident and no shots were fired.”

You all start walking over to a large camouflage tent with a couple of bulky and angular looking vehicles sitting beside it. They had 8 wheels and a very long gun on top of an angular turret. It dwarfed even the guns mounted on top of the trucks you were just in, making you jealous. When you all enter the tent, a few men in the same striped shirts you saw outside were smoking and playing cards at a table while others read books in languages you couldn't even translate. A man looks at you with a smile before going back to doing whatever he was doing on a phone.

“Welcome to our humble abode. It's not like the habitat you bourgeois live in, but it is enough for us simple folk.” Igor says. “We're attached to veh deh veh right now, but we are all still spetsnaz.”

“VDV?” Jack asks. “So they've got you dropping out of planes onto theaters now?”

“You are very funny!” Igor replies with a chuckle before looking down at you. “It is funny because spetsnaz massacred a theater over 20 years ago. It was not our finest moment.”

Your ears fold back in terror, knowing what this could spell for relations between humans and Sianians if they did this. He laughs jovially at this, walking over to what you assume is his bunk. He opens a locker and you see the bottom is filled with bottles of the clear liquid you love so much.

“Russian standard!” He yells out. “It is still chilled, so we can enjoy it as it was meant to be enjoyed.”

He takes out a few glasses and looks back at all the men who are looking at him with longing.

“This vodka is for friends, not family.” He says, pouring the shots.

He hands you all your shots and holds them up to a point you can toast at comfortably.

“To the end of this foreign war.” He says, holding his shot glass out. “The war we have just joined.”

“To the end.” You and Jack both say, clinking the glasses together before downing the shots.

It had a spicy after taste, which made you smile. For cheap tasting Vodka, this was pretty good. You hear a snort come from Jack and see him holding his mouth, Igor breaking into a hysterical laugh.

“Even after all these years, you still can not handle vodka from mother Russia!” He yells between fits of hysterics. “You Americans are something else!”

“Not my fault your shitty vatnik fuel doesn't appeal to my refined tastes.” Jack says after finally swallowing the shot. “I prefer whiskey that doesn't need food to go with it.”

“Sure, you Americans are all about the Jack Daniels.” He says.

“May I take another shot?” You ask, holding your glass up.

“Sure little one. You're much braver than you look.” He says, pouring you another shot.

“God, it's still burning, holy shit.” Jack says, probably remembering when you kissed him with Tarkla Soyk sauce all over your mouth.

“I think he hates spicy things.” You say with a smile.

“I don't have to take this from you.” He replies with a smile, pulling you into a kiss.

Years of drinking discipline allow you to not spill your vodka, pushing Jack away as he forces you into a kiss you definitely didn't ask for. Your face goes flush as Igor begins to laugh at you. Jack pulls away and you notice your shot is now gone, in Jack's hand.

“H-hey!” You yell, reaching for it. “Give it back!”

“Not until you apologize.” He says with a smirk, holding out of reach.

You groan, channeling Tau through your arms as you raise yourself on a pillar of ice and grab the drink.

“You're just jealous I can hold my vodka.” You tell him with a smirk, downing more of the spicy liquid.

“Whoa magic is that!” One of the men yells in Katrician. “Cool that's.”

You break apart the ice and it turns to frost on the ground, everybody in the tent clapping. You take a bow, raising your tail with pride as you raise your glass.

“Keep them coming as long as you got them!” You say in common.

Jack rolls his eyes and exits the tent, leaving you to drink with everyone.

1 hour later

Jack

You're sitting in the Conex with Vikna in your lap, having passed out after the 10th shot. The purring she was doing sounded more like a wheeze than a purr, so you eventually stopped petting her because the sound unnerved you. This was really hard to resist considering how soft and fluffy she was, but it is the way it is. After you held Vikna close a little longer, you decide to carry her over to the bed, laying her down and covering her up with a blanket. After you covered her up, you slid in bed with her and pulled her close, her wheezing purr suddenly clearing up. Her eyes open slightly and she gives you a smile.

“I want you to fuck me.” She says, pulling you close before making cat noises for a bit. “I'm so warm right now and my soberup just gave me an emergency shot. The side effects make me...hot and bothered.”

“I'm really tired right now-”

“Then I'll fuck you.” She says rolling on top of you. “Get your underwear off.”

Her speaking was a bit slow, but it was probably just residual alcohol. You do as she says and pull your underwear down. She immediately begins rubbing her barely moist snatch against you, moaning a bit louder than normal. You feel yourself begin to harden a bit and she begins moaning louder, coating your dick in her fluids as she rocks back and forth. Then, out of the blue, she lays down on top of you and begins twitching. Did she already cum after not even 30 seconds? She's gasping and twitching again before letting out a loud cry, your cock having gotten hard enough to slide out from under her.

“Vikna, are you okay?” You ask.

“I-I'm fine.” She says, pushing herself back onto your dick. “I can do this.”

“You don't have to do this if you don't want to.” You tell her.

“I want this!” She yells. “I want you inside me!”

“Vikna...” You say.

“No!” She yells. “I want it!”

“Come on Vikna.” You tell her, pulling her off you. “We can talk.”

“N-no! I want y-your dick.” She says, her eyes beginning to water up. “P-please, just let me rut with you...”

“Vikna, why are you still going at it this hard?” You ask. “Why are you having sex with me so much?”

“I-It's the weather!” She yells. “P-please, I need you inside!”

“Vikna, stop.” You say, holding her shoulders firmly. “Tell me what's going on. Now.”

“I-I just want you so bad.” She says, a couple droplets of her juices coming down on you. “I n-need to repay you...”

“Vikna...”

“NO! You're not giving me that lovey dovey bullshit!” She yells. “You gave me everything I wanted and ask for nothing in return! What do you want from me?!”

“I...” You think before realizing the only answer you could give is 'lovey dovey bullshit'. “...can't give you an answer. I only want to be with you.”

“S-stop it!” She yells, wriggling out of your grasp. “It's killing me Jack! It's killing me that you don't want anything from me when I owe you the world.”

“No, I owe YOU the world!” You yell back, letting her go abruptly before making an inch between your thumb and index finger. “I was THIS CLOSE to killing myself before you two arrived in my house. This fucking close! I had no purpose in life, was suffering from mental illness, and had nobody to talk with! I was so fucking lonely when you came to me and for the first time in years I felt like I had a purpose!”

“I was alienated too you know!” She yells, sitting up on your chest. “Most of the officers didn't like me and most of them still don't! They say I sucked and fucked my way to Kavkor and that's the furthest thing from the truth! I worked hard to get where I was as soon as I did and it all paid off when I got command of my own ship! I was left to fend for myself MULTIPLE TIMES on patrol! Pirates and splinter groups from the old Serkonian era would attack my small vessel CONSTANTLY! Nobody would help me and even my AI personalities were assholes! They wanted nothing to do with me!”

She lays back down on your chest, sniffling a bit as she pulled you into a hug.

“I stepped through that portal because I didn't want to be a Kavkor anymore. I wanted to start a new life in a foreign land where nobody hated or disowned me. I found you and you reminded me of all the things I left behind...so I snapped at you all the time. Even when I was so mean to you, all you wanted to do was help me...” She explains at a softer volume. “I even hated you for the longest time and you still cared about me. After I disowned you like I was disowned myself, you kept helping me. I don't deserve you and you deserve better than me, but you chose to put a ring on my finger. You could've had Ayn, who'd probably give your kids a great life. Zofie could've been the perfect mother. She's stern but fair and very mature for her age. I'm just a broken kitty that's been enlisted so long, she forgot how to be anything but a soldier, how to treat a man right, and what she's supposed to do. So, please, tell me. Why are you pushing yourself so hard? For me? Why even bother with me?”

“So you can have that better life you want.” You reply, fighting back tears of you own. “I want you to have that better life, the life nobody else was willing to give you.”

“BUT WHY?!” She screams.

“Because you're worth so much more than you say you are!” You yell back. “You never forgot how to be anything. You treat me like I matter and that's so much more than I've ever gotten from anyone, ever! I've always been treated as the fifth wheel, the guy nobody wants to talk to, the weird guy nobody invites to parties! The angry man who nobody wants to talk to because he's an asshole! The guy who just wanted someone...but was too scared to ask. The guy who was beaten down by everyone around him and abandoned when he tried to fit in. A man who not even his own mother could love. I saw the good in you and thought of myself, a broken man who just wants to be loved. Why do I bother? I bother because I love you so much more than anything or anyone before you. I want nothing but you Vikna. The only thing I want is for you to stay with me forever.”

“T-that's all you want?” She asks. “You just want me to stay?”

“Y-yes.” You say, tears leaking out of your eyes as you pull her into a hug. “Nobody ever stays. They always leave me after they're finished and I just want you to stay. I know I'm not perfect, but I try so h-hard. I-I just want someone to stay. I don't want to be a-alone anym-more.”

You finally burst, unable to keep it in any longer. You bury your face in her shoulder fur, your cries being muffled as she puts a hand around your neck. She strokes you gently as you continue to let it all out. The pain of being so lonely finally bubbling to the surface. Your old girlfriend never gave you the time of day, hitting you and abusing you every day until you finally told her to leave. Your mother and sister left you too, not wanting anything to do with you because of how often you complained and whined. Your father tried his best, but he was crippled and couldn't come see you as often as you'd like. Vikna and your friends were the only ones who stayed and you couldn't live without them, especially now that you've hurt your psyche so badly.

“I'll never leave you.” She tells you. “No matter what you do, I'll always stick with you.”

You feel all the sadness you've ever felt wash away at that very moment. Every moment of loneliness now filled with a feeling of patient waiting. Every moment you were abandoned being filled with the opportunity to meet new people. Every moment you had ever felt alone, she was there, waiting for you to come along. You were no longer crying tears of sorrow, but tears of joy. Everything you ever wanted was coming true.

“Thank you so much!” You manage to get out, the crying beginning to taper off. “I love you so much. So so much. How can I ever repay you?”

“Well, you can finish what we started.” She says, feeling a smile creep across her muzzle. “You just lay back and I'll rock your world.”

You grasp at her fur a bit before removing your face from her shoulder, seeing it's now damp with tears. You wipe it off with your hand as best you can, but she stops you and pushes you back in bed. She lowers herself back onto your still semi hard member and manages to pull it inside with her folds. She gasps at the feeling and you grab the bed for stability, not knowing how she's making it feel so good. She seems to see the confusion on your face and gives you a cute giggle.

“Feels tight, doesn't it?” She asks. “Much tighter than normal?”

“Y-yes.” You say, feeling her begin milking your cock without moving.

“I had some HP inside my trunk that I remember using back with Detonayo. I don't remember what it stands for, but I can control my entire pussy as finely as my fingers.”

She demonstrates by squeezing down on both ends and making it feel like you're being stroked from both sides, whining a bit herself as she shudders at the sensation.

“F-fuck, you're s-so good.” You tell her, grabbing her hips.

She smacks your hands away and shakes her head.

“It'll ruin it if you move me.” She says. “Just sit back and enjoy the view.”

She strips out of her uniform, tossing the bra away as she begins groping her tits, rubbing one hand down her well toned mid section. When her hand makes its way to her pussy, she begins rubbing her little love button as she begins stroking you with her candy flavored cunt. You grab the bed and hear the sheets begin to tear, gritting your teeth as you do your best to watch Vikna work. She grabs one of your hands and you let go, guiding it up to her untouched breast as you now have something to grab on. When you squeeze it, she squeals in ecstasy, smiling back down at you with a sultry gaze.

“Come on, don't hold back. I know you want to blow so bad~.” She says in a seductive voice that doesn't fit the personality you've seen from her. “Give me a big sticky load Jack. Give me something to carry around in my womb today. Make all the other girls jealous and cum inside me! Mark me with your seed!”

That's all she gets out before you grab her hips, thrusting upward as you feel cum leak from the tip of your cock. Vikna stops squeezing and you thrust yourself up and down, more cum shooting out of you at high speed. Vikna cries as she clamps down on you, her facade breaking as soon as you press up against her cervix. The rest of your load is deposited directly into her womb, making her squeal in ecstasy as her tongue lolls out of her mouth. You have to grab her back so she doesn't fall over, the last little spurts making it into her womb as she pulls herself forward onto your chest.

“I-I told you not to move.” She says. “Y-you disobeyed an order...”

“I-hah-will take my p-punishment n-now.” You say, holding her close.

“I do-oh-on't care how tired you are, you're railing me from behind, hard.” She says. “Get to it.”

You nod, trading places with Vikna as she moans and squeals the entire time. You flip her on her front, dick still planted firmly inside her pretty pink pussy. She begins stroking you again, giving you a wide smile as you begin hitting her from behind, loud and messy slaps coming from you both as cum leaks from her pussy. You feel yourself go soft before getting hard again just by gripping Viknas ass fur. The wet slaps echo off the walls of the conex as she continues stroking and crying out, causing you to put a hand over her mouth. She licks at your hand and continues to moan, before you remember the one thing she liked more than anything. You grab the base of her tail and her eyes go wide, shaking her head.

“Nmmf!” She tries to say, but your hand keeps her from finishing.

You give her tail a swift tug and her eyes roll up into her head, her pussy clamping down on you so hard that you nearly fall from the sensation. She's crying out into your hand as you continue to tug gently on her tail, feeling the upper part of it wrap around your back. The wet slapping gets louder as more fluid leaves her snatch, wetting down her fur before you feel your hand begin to freeze. You remove it from her mouth and she begins whining and moaning as frost covered her smiling face.

“T-too c-AH-cold?” She asks with a smile before laying down on the bed, unable to move at all now.

“I-I'm gonna cu-cum again!” You yell.

Vikna grabs your hand and locks them together in a very lewd hand hold, looking back at you with a pleading look.

“D-do it!” She yells back. “Make this kitty yours!”

You tug on her tail one more time, her entire body shaking as her legs hold you in place. Her squeals of ecstasy were as unsteady as her body as she cums harder than you've ever felt before. You feel yourself blow another load so soon after the other one, collapsing on top of Vikna as you pump her womb full of more seed. You feel your strength begin to fade as you both lay on the bed, flipping her sideways so you don't crush her when the inevitable blackout happens.

“I-ungh-love you so m-much.” You tell her, feeling her milk you of your remaining seed as if she was doing it by hand.

“I love you too baby.” She says, putting a hand on your leg. “I'll always be here for you, no m-a-ah-atter what. D-don't forget that.”

With that, the light begins to fade as you finally black out, completely and utterly exhausted. The last thing you feel before drifting off to sleep is a gentle kiss on your lips before being wrapped in warmth and love.

Vikna

You feel him go limp, making you smile. He just wants someone to stay with him. You had no intentions of leaving, no matter what stupid things he does or how badly he screws up, not wanting to repeat the mistake you made before again. It didn't matter to you as long as he stays with you too. You feel your stomach grumble a bit and let out a very unladylike burp. It was that vodka coming up to burn your nose. You feel a pain in your stomach, the sure sign of being hungry. You're going to go and grab something to eat from the kitchen. All you've been eating is stuff you brought in your trunk and the food bars are getting low somehow. You told Jack to stop eating them, but he insists it's not him.

When you pull yourself away, you make sure to clamp yourself shut so the bed mess is minimized. You hurriedly put your hand below his member, feeling a bit leak onto your palm. It was such a cute little dribble that you had to taste it. You stick it on your tongue and it's not exactly what you were expecting. It had a certain sweetness to it like...well, it doesn't matter who it tastes like, it's not fair to compare synthetic cum to organic cum. When you're up, you grab the towel you use to wipe yourself off, feeling nanites begin cleaning your fur as you wipe the towel over your crotch and stomach. You still can't believe he pulled your tail, which you specifically told him not to do because it was cheating. You rub the area that he pulled, an involuntary squeak coming from you as you whip your tail around a few times.

As you put your clothes on again, you grab a hat from beside the bed which the Major on base said was the closest thing you had to an official cover. The Katrician navy discontinued covers 2 years ago, as it was seen as antiquated and unnecessary. When you don your ushanka, you make your way out the door before hearing drums and some sort of string instrument. When you identify where it's coming from, you see men in red coats and tall bushy hats playing instruments as everyone is sat in front, listening to them. There were men who were playing what looked like small guitars with bows. The song they were playing you recognize immediately. It was that song Jack had sang when he captured that ship. Everyone in the crowd is humming along as the band continues playing before you feel a hand on your shoulder.

“Wasn't this the song you got on his case about singing when he landed that battle cruiser?” Nytro asks seeming to read your mind.

“Don't remind me...” You reply.

“So, did you pop the pill yet?” He asks with some snark.

“Shut up Nytro.” You reply. “I'm not going to blindside him like that.”

“Whatever, your call.” He replies. “You two discuss the names at least?”

“I...no.” You say, realizing you two haven't discussed names. “I'll need to do that when he gets up.”

“Always here to help.” He says with a smirk. “Where you heading off to?”

“I'm hungry.” You reply. “I don't eat ass for nutrients like you do.”

“Hey, that's not entirely true.” He says, walking along as you make it past the rear of the crowd. “I suck dick if the face is pretty enough.”

“Sure you do.” You say. “I don't buy that for a second.”

“I'll suck Jack's dick if you want to bet.” He says.

“Uh, I think that's a terrible idea for your physical and mental health.” You tell him. “I'm going to have to pass, purely for your safety of course.”

“You just don't want to share.” He says with a smile.

“Th-that's not true!” You yell.

“Come on, I've heard good things from spots and that nurse he fucked.” Nytro says.

“You know he's straight, right?” You ask. “He refused to have sex with Loki when he was morphed into ARA. What do you think he'll do if you ask him to peg you, or better yet, peg him?”

“I imagine it will involve lots of clumsy fighting before he's pinned to the ground.” Nytro replies confidently.

“You haven't seen him move when he wants to yet, have you?” You ask.

“I think I have.” He replies. “Not nearly as fast as me.”

“Just don't try it, okay?” You ask. “I don't want him ending up more traumatized and becoming sexually confused. Please?”

“Fine, but only because you asked so nicely.” He replies, a bit disappointed by your request.

When you enter the place named “Mess Hall”, you see a few men sitting around, eating food that looked very much different from what is made in a food synth. You then smell the unmistakable scent of raw meat being cooked. It made you all the more hungry as your mouth began watering.

“They're cooking real meat.” You say with a smile. “Wonder if it's any good.”

“I think anything is better than eating those food bars.” He says with a smirk.

“You're the one who took my food bars?!” You ask, thoroughly annoyed now.

“You never said I couldn't take them.” He says, holding the smirk.

“God, I hate you so much.” You tell him. “You're almost as bad as Ayn.”

You make your way to the kitchen and the cook looks up at you, giving you a smile.

“Did you come all the way down here to try my cooking, ma'am?” The large, chocolate brown skinned man asks. “Lots of furries say it's better than something called a food synth.”

“Yeah, I'm kind of hangry right now.” You tell him, looking back at the living thorn in your side behind you. “Someone took all my mango food bars.”

“Alright, how does mashed potatoes, gravy, and chicken sound?” The man asks. “Or does biscuits, gravy, and Salisbury steak sound better?”

“I'll take the first one.” You say.

“I'll take the latter.” Nytro chimes in.

“Can I see an ID?” The man asks Nytro with a smirk.

“I...uh...left it in my other pants.” He says with an awkward smile on his face.

“Sure you did. You get the same meal as the Colonel does.” He says, already having prepared a tray for you. “Take a seat anywhere, ma'am. I'm sure everyone would enjoy your company.”

“Thank you, uh, what's your name?” You ask, not able to see his name tag through the unfortunate camouflage pattern he had on his name tag.

“Name's Beleveau, ma'am, but people call me Briggs.” He says with a smile. “Nice to meet you Colonel.”

“Please, call me Vikna. I think the men will do just fine without me.” You say with a smile, taking the tray. “Is there anywhere to get drinks?”

“The Russians are the only ones with hard stuff, but we have a vending machine and soda dispensers at the end of the mess hall over there.” He says, pointing to the end of the room. “I don't know if you have any money for the vending machine though. It only takes quarters and dispenses glass bottles.”

“Thank you for the information. I'll be off now.” You say, walking off as Briggs prepares Nytro's meal for him.

When you acquire some coffee from an oddly mechanical pump, you walk to a table with nobody at it, Nytro following close behind. The men have been ogling you this entire time, which makes you roll your eyes before turning back to Nytro. He sits down across from you and you begin digging in, the food tasting almost as good as Zofie's cooking. You begin wolfing down your food, relishing in the taste as it all goes down the hatch without a second thought. Nytro is watching you intently as he eats his food more slowly, probably not being as hungry because he took all your food bars. He could've touched literally anything else of yours and you wouldn't be as mad.

“Did you hear how much progress they're making across the planet?” Nytro asks.

“Yeah, they've already taken back the southern hemisphere with the help of Radoslav and Katrician air support.” You reply. “These humans work fast.”

“I'm just glad they're not a galactic power.” He says. “They probably would've conquered the galaxy if they were, but I can think of worse governments to be under.”

“Being under Radoslav isn't that bad either.” You say. “It's better than martial law.”

“Anything's better than Katrician martial law.” He says with a smirk. “Assholes wouldn't let me buy food without an ID.”

“It wasn't that bad.” You say, finishing the mashed potatoes and chicken. “At least, not for a Katrician citizen.”

You finish eating, having thought it would take much longer to eat all that food. Maybe now you could go back and sleep with Jack. You make your way to a collection of trays and drop yours on top, making your way out of the mess hall. You see Russians and Marines doing a tug of war in the dirt, neither side seeming to make any progress as the band egresses from the stage in an orderly fashion. They march along rigidly, not moving out of step even a little bit. This makes you smile, continuing your walk back to your building. As you pass, you hear a couple of moans and groans coming from some soldiers that pass you, definitely mocking you and Jack. You're tempted to freeze them all in place and leave them there until the ice melts, but that would only sour relations with the base commander.

“Go for another round baby!” One of them yells.

“Git some rabbit!” Another shouts.

They begin humping the air in an over dramatic fashion, making you blush slightly as you hurry to the door. You make it to your quarters, opening the door and closing it behind you. The whooping and gorilla noises seem to get louder as you sigh, making your way to the bed. Suddenly, Jack wakes up, his eyes going wide before you see his eye twitch a bit. He throws the blanket off and pulls his underwear up, stepping out of bed before walking aggressively at the door. He throws it open, the door slamming against the door stop.

“SHUT THE FUCK UP YOU GOD DAMN MONKEYS!” Jack screams. “I'LL SMOKE ALL OF YOU TO FUCKING DEATH IF I HEAR ONE MORE GOD DAMN OOGA BOOGA FROM ANY OF YOU!”

He slams the door shut, shaking the whole building before he walks back to the bed, everything outside going completely quiet. He slides inside and is about to pull the covers on when they fall out of his grasp, his arm going limp as he probably passes out again. You smile, making your way to the bed before stripping out of your clothing. He likes it when you lay naked, which you do anyway, so it wasn't much of a change. When you toss your bra off to the side, you slide into the bed and attempt to flip the heavy man over. Thankfully, you can manage to roll him with your relatively high strength, which seems to wake him again. He sees you and smiles, pulling you close to him and rubbing behind your neck. Your body begins purring by itself as you force your tail under his torso. He chuckles at this, your tail finally making it under him as you wrap it around his waist.

“So that's how you did that.” He says gently. “Where'd you go?”

“You weren't asleep?” You ask.

“I blacked out for a few minutes.” He replies. “I'm still tired, but I didn't want to sleep without you. You're amazing, you know that?”

“Yeah, I'm pretty much perfect.” You say in a sarcastic tone. “I went to go get something to eat because Nytro took all of my food bars.”

“I told you it wasn't me.” He says, rubbing his cheek against yours. “So, how'd you like the officer mess hall?”

“There's an officer mess hall?” You ask.

“Oh god.” Jack says, closing his eye and shaking his head. “Don't go into the enlisted mess hall again. Lots of stories of women getting dragged off before anyone can do anything.”

“Alright.” You reply. “You know Nytro said he'd fuck you on a bet, right?”

“Well, guess I'm not making a bet if I'm getting fucked out of my money.” He replies.

“No, he said he'd have sex with you if I bet he wouldn't.” You correct. “I told him to not.”

“Did you also tell him that I don't swing that way no matter who it is or how much money I'm paid?” He asks.

“Yeah, I made sure to tell him.” You reply. “He said he'd fight you if he had to.”

“I think I'd just run at that point. I don't feel like getting into a fight with Nytro.” He says. “Especially not over butt sex.”

You nod, sliding yourself down and burying your head in the crook of his neck. He rubs your head and you begin purring again, feeling his hands fall to the side as he passes out again. You feel yourself begin falling asleep as well, smiling gently as you rub against his skin, falling asleep moments later.

8 hours later

You're woken up by vibration coming from the night stand. It was your ear piece buzzing away. It's dark outside, only a few lights illuminating the outside world as you push yourself away from Jack. He doesn't move one bit, not even opening his eyes as he flops down onto his stomach. You giggle at this before pulling your tail from under his body, picking up the vibrating clip on ear phone. You answer without looking at who it is.

“Hello?” You ask before yawning.

“Miss Vikna!” ARA yells into your ear, causing you to cringe and pull the thing off. “We have arrived at the space port and are requesting you come back with Nytro and mister Jackson!”

“ARA, please, we're trying to sleep.” You tell her.

“The director said this was mandatory fun!” She continues yelling. “The Emperor also wants to have a discussion with you two and mister Mattis!”

“ARA, stop yelling.” You say a bit more directly.

“I apologize miss Vikna, I am just very excited. I haven't seen you in over a month.” She says, quieting down significantly.

“I see your socialization and deep learning are soaring to new heights.” You say. “You're starting to act like an organic.”

“I-I am?!” She asks, beginning to panic.

“I'm joking.” You say with a smile. “Well, I'll get going as soon as I've had my coffee.”

“Please hurry, we're all waiting for you!” She says excitedly.

“I'll be there.” You say, hanging the com-link up.

“Who was that?” Jack asks before stretching a bit. “I could hear it from here.”

“ARA said the Capitol ship has landed.” You reply.

“WHAT?!” He asks, throwing himself up. “When the fuck did this happen?!”

Wait...you completely forgot to tell him.

“I forgot to tell you when they called.” You say with a sheepish smile. “You were sleeping...so I let you sleep.”

“Fuuuck, Vikna, this is the kind of stuff you wake me up for.” He says, wiping his hands down his face. “I'm gonna need to requisition a jolt in the middle of the night.”

“Jolt?” You ask.

“JLTV.” He replies. “It's a very small MRAP for 5 people.”

“Oh, it's a nickname.” You say, realizing what he meant. “Well, I'll see if I can smooth negotiations by waving my rank around.”

“You'll need it. Mechanics don't like people touching their vehicles.” He says, throwing his legs over the side of the bed in a manner where they don't collide with you. “Let's be ready in 5, I don't think we need to dress fancy.”

“The Emperor is there too.” You say. “Please dress fancy.”

“Well, give me 15.” He says, walking to the shower. “I'll be out in 5 and be dressed in 10.”

He enters the shower and you sigh, getting out of bed before realizing something. He just took the shower before you!

1 hour later

Jack

You're walking away with the key to unlock the Jolt's door, having thanked the vehicle depot for their contribution to the cause. When you approach number 42, you begin walking around, unlocking all the doors before checking the tires and hopping up to the hood. You open the latches on the forward opening piece and begin checking fluids, hearing an impatient cough behind you.

“What are you doing?” Vikna asks. “Weren't you the one who said we had to hurry?”

“Don't get pissy with me because I was faster on the draw than you were.” You tell her with a smile. “Do you have your armor and weapon on you?”

“I...no.” She says. “I'll be back.”

“Alright, what's the big idea waking me up at 13 in the morning?” Nytro asks. “What's this?”

“It's a Jolt.” You tell him. “Joint Light Tactical Vehicle.”

“Ah, so what are we doing in the Jolt?” He asks.

“We're going back to the Capitol ship.” You reply.

“This thing can go FTL?” He asks.

“No, the Capitol ship is about 50 miles from here.” You reply.

“WHAT?!” He asks, much in the same manner you did. “When did this happen?”

“Last night apparently.” You reply. “They've been docked for a few hours now and ARA called asking Vikna to rally you all up.”

“Hey sweetie, what are you doing up so late?” Ayn asks, pulling your attention away from checking the transmission fluid. “Oh, hey Nytro.”

“I'm getting the Jolt ready to go back to the Capitol ship.” You say. “It happened last night and all that jazz. Get the angry and confused what out of your system now.”

“What?” Ayn asks, confused, but not angry. “I knew it came here. I watched it arrive and land.”

“Well...okay.” You reply, sticking the dip stick back inside and closing the hood, everything checking out. “Alright, Jolt's ready.”

You hop down and make your way over to the equipment you brought over. You were wearing Marine Blues with a plate carrier over top, which looked ugly as sin, but it was necessary since this entire planet was a combat zone outside of Ackbar space center. You heft the 50 caliber ammo cans back to the truck and see Ayn grab a couple too.

“Thanks.” You say, opening the door up and setting the cans in the designated racks for them.

“You're welcome.” She says with a smile, tossing the cans up to you.

When you finish stacking and securing the stack of ammo cans, you hop down and see her carrying your gun and belts over to you, handing them over as you toss them up on the seat. You were issued a rifle for now, as they were in the process of registering your 240 for introduction into the Marine Corps. They said it was a copy of stolen property and you're not allowed to have it any more. Big whoop, you can just go back to the Tower and make another with the printer, assuming the file was still on your profile. When the SCAR was set in the rack above the passengers seat, you see Vikna has her armor on now. Nytro was content with wearing a plate carrier as Ayn had opted to wear something a bit more...form fitting. It was the same kind of suit Vikna had, but it was only soft armor and pretty much fitted to her entire body.

“So, are we all going in this truck?” She asks.

“Yeah.” You reply. “As long as we don't get stopped by any IEDs, we should be there in less than an hour.”

You swing yourself toward the drivers side, opening it up and stepping inside before sitting back down in the seat. You check you're in the correct position and that everything is set, checking the seat suspension on the driver, passenger, and gunners seat. Vikna gets inside the passengers side and smiles at you, closing the door part way before she grits her teeth.

“SHIT!” She screams out, pulling her tail up into the truck. “M-my tail!”

You take a look at it and see a bit of fur is cut off, but there's no bleeding and her bones look fine.

“Did you break it on the door?” You ask.

“N-no, It hurts really bad though.” She says, hugging it to her face. “It's going to bruise...”

“Mind your tails!” You yell out to them. “Doors are really heavy and sharp!”

Nytro gets in the rear passenger seat and Ayn gets in behind you, both taking care to put their tails inside the vehicle before closing the doors. You hear a series of clicks as seat belts are buckled before you look back at Nytro.

“You're on the gun.” You say, pointing to the turret seat. “Works just like my gun except it's closed bolt. Open, place belt, close, rack twice.”

“Can't Vikna do it?” He asks. “I'm tired.”

“Vikna is navigating.” You tell him. “Due to the great wisdom of queen Kesis, all the roads are a clusterfuck.”

“Fine.” He says, climbing up to the front before contorting himself into the turret.

He slaps you with his tail, more than likely on purpose before he sits on the seat.

“Seat belt or you'll be ejected if we roll.” You tell him, tapping the belt he completely ignored. “Put it on.”

“Whatever dad.” He says with a groan, putting the strap on his lap before pulling the gun barrel into the air.

You click the power on and switch the ignition to on, turning on the lights and high beams as everything lights up. You'd put your NVGs on later, but for now you were using lights. You start the truck up and it rumbles to life, air conditioning...wait, this thing has AC!

“Holy shit this thing has air conditioning!” You yell.

“That's a big development?” Vikna asks.

“Hell yeah it's a big development!” You yell. “Oh my god, it's actually cold too!”

“Well, that's great.” Vikna says. “It would've been nice a month ago.”

You turn the AC off, the forest being cool enough to not warrant it. It was actually a good thing Ayn came along, as you had a lot of questions you were never really able to ask. She was always too busy talking to Marines, helping around the base, or just straight up fucking a few dudes.

“Hey Ayn, I've been meaning to ask you something.” You say, pulling out of the vehicle bay. “What's up with this forest? Why is it making all the women horny?”

“Supposedly it's the forest blessed by the goddess of lust and fertility.” She replies. “Any woman who enters the forest with a man will feel an irresistible urge to rut with that man, the urge being stronger if the two love each other. I don't really believe that's the case though, since nearly most 'miracles' have been explained by science in the past hundred years.”

“What about the forest?” You ask. “Has that been explained?”

“Funnily enough, it hasn't.” She replies. “We've had all-male science teams come out here to test couples and find no discernible evidence that anything we can measure is going on.”

“Are you affected?” You ask, pulling up the checkpoint and opening the door, showing the MP your ID.

“No. I think it's because of my ability to match my libido with males though.” She says. “I do feel oddly at home here though, more at home than I felt when I arrived planet side. I don't know if it's because I'm surrounded by friends, back on my home world, or something else entirely, but I'd honestly be okay setting up a small home here.”

You smile at that. There are things in this universe that science just can't explain, and this sounds like the work of a deity her people worship. Sounds like actual magic instead of that Tau shit everyone here manipulates. You turn down the row of barracks, slowly making your way down the row of tents before someone comes out of the Russian tent. You stop the truck and they make their way over to your side of the truck, knocking on the door. You open it and see Igor standing on the ground, holding an empty bottle of Vodka.

“Are you going to Ackbar?” He asks.

“Yeah, why?” You ask in return.

“I wish to come along.” He says, you realizing only now that he's dressed up in full kit.

“If you don't mind going AWOL, sure.” You say, pointing to the other side of the truck. “Rear seat is open.”

“Thank you comrade.” He says with a smile, raising the bottle.

You close your door and shortly after, you hear the rear door open up, a large Russian man stepping inside before closing the door.

“These seats are very comfortable.” He says. “I can see why you like these vehicles.”

“I've only ever rode in them a few times, driven them even fewer times.” You tell him. “So, why do you need to go to Ackbar?”

“I have men I need to meet. They're bringing more vodka.” He replies. “Your friend drank almost a whole bottle by herself.”

“I know, I was there.” You tell him, pushing on past all the barracks tents.

“Oh, hello princess.” He says as you make your way to the next checkpoint.

“Hello, I don't think we've met.” She tells him. “I'm Ayn, you don't need to call me princess if you don't want.”

“I'm Igor.” He tells her. “It is a pleasure to meet someone as beautiful as you.”

“I appreciate your complement.” She says. “Maybe we could get to know each other a little better?”

“No sex in the truck.” You tell her, being waved through the checkpoint. “I'll be the one to clean it up and I don't want Vikna getting ideas.”

“H-hey!” She yells. “I wasn't going to do anything!”

“I'm sensing a lie.” Ayn says snarkily. “Your body says otherwise.”

“S-stop doing that!” She yells louder this time. “Didn't I tell you not to do that without my consent?!”

“You said not to do it in the Tower.” She replies with a chuckle. “We're on my home planet, so I can do what I want.”

“Can you two not fight for an hour?” You ask. “I want to concentrate on driving. Nytro, you still have those NODs?”

“Yeah, why?” He asks as you turn down the road.

You pull out a mount you had made for Nytro while Vikna was getting wasted. You hand it up to him and he takes it.

“Put the night vision on them.” You tell him. “It's so you don't have to hold them like binoculars.”

You begin accelerating down the road in the Humvee replacement, the engine feeling much more capable than the vehicle it replaced. When you hit 70 miles an hour, you look up and see Nytro looking around with the single tube night vision.

“You're not bothered by that tube?!” You ask in a yell over the wind rushing over the truck.

“My depth perception is weird, it doesn't bother me!” He yells back. “I'm not a pussy like you!”

“Yeah, right!” You yell back at him.

You all continue down the highway before you turn out the lights, flicking down your night vision.

“Turn left at the next turn off.” She says.

“You got it.” You tell her, continuing down the road. “So, what happened back at the palace Ayn?”

“They took out our guards in mere minutes. They had trucks with guns that punched right through even the most advanced guard armor. I felt responsible, since the armor was mostly made to withstand impacts from my staff instead of machine gun fire.” She says. “Mother decided not only to flee the capital, but the entire planet as well. I can't decide whether or not she made the right move, but we're still alive, so I guess her idea had some merit.”

“I thought it was odd that there was no real military presence on this planet.” Igor says. “I understand the move, but it is not the move I'd make in that situation. You must rally forces and push them from your country, as Russia has done in the past.”

“We had a paper tiger as a military.” Ayn says. “We have a fleet, but that's all we have. The ground force was so neutered it might as well have just been a few guys with spears, which most of the time it was! Jack, you remember those blue guards with spears, right?”

“Yeah, why?” You ask.

“They were supposed to have guns.” She says. “My mother didn't even trust her own guards with guns.”

“Guess that's why the whole thing went off without a hitch.” You say.

“Yes, so naturally, we had to retreat while our guards tried to bring spears to a gun fight. They mad headway, but that truck murdered the poor men before they could do anything. This was all well over a year ago now, way before the portal incident opened massive amounts of portals all over controlled and uncontrolled space.” She says. “I believe it was localized within only the United States, southern Canada, and northern Mexico. Correct me if I pronounced the names wrong.”

“You pronounced them all right.” You tell her. “I thought the portal incident was the moment terrorists started taking over. This means Fluff either fucked up big time or he wasn't the one who invented the portals in the first place.”

“Exactly, which is why Radoslav even agreed to do this invasion in the first place. He wants that portal technology destroyed because it's a threat to the galaxy as a whole. We don't know what's in your galaxy and your civilization is too primitive to even know what to do in the event of a planetary invasion.” She says.

“We do.” Igor and you both say at the same time.

“Oh?” Ayn asks.

“You know those Casaba howitzers?” You ask. “Those were an actual concept proposed to the US government and shelved for a later date. Our entire strategy revolves around capturing alien technology and using it against the invaders. The rest is classified.”

“That is Russia's plan too. We would collaborate with the world governments and concentrate our industry on pumping out large amounts of equipment and putting bases in Siberia.” He adds. “We have railguns and, well, it's probably declassified by now anyways, so we have EMP generators so big it can take out a countries power grid in seconds. There is no amount of hardening that can resist anything of that magnitude, here or at home.”

“How do you know?” Vikna asks.

“We have tested it against captured androids from your station.” He replies. “They all ceased function. I was there for the test and threw up when the pulse hit.”

“Were they sentient?” She asks.

“No, they were combat androids when we asked.” He replies. “They spoke broken Russian too, so it was easier to understand. Most likely a Mongolian dialect.”

“If it can destroy combat androids, I have confidence that this super weapon could take out a small ship if used properly.” Vikna says. “I am still more impressed by the nuclear lance Jack showed us. It took out 5 ships with one shot. ONE SHOT!”

“They were positioned poorly.” You say. “A shot from a battle cruiser would've done the same if the powder charge was high enough.”

“Hey, I've got a contact pointing a laser at us about a kilometer out!” Nytro yells down. “What is that?!”

“GET DOWN!” You scream, pulling him down as a massive laser beam lights the truck up with light.

“What the fuck?!” Nytro asks.

“IGOR! TAKE THE WHEEL!” You shout, pulling Nytro down from the seat as the Russian man undoes his seat belt.

Nytro and Igor swap places as Igor trades with you, taking the wheel as you sit up on the gun. You swivel the turret and see the laser is much closer than a kilometer away. If you had to judge, it's probably about 500 meters out. You pull the sight up and put it at 500 meters before the laser begins flashing. You duck, the laser hitting the armor panel on the gun shield. After it finishes firing, you get back up and line up the target, pushing down the dovetail trigger. The 50 caliber barks out a response, tracers flying off into the distance as the laser wielder panics. He fires a shot way high as you keep putting accurate fire on the area, the weapon chugging along before you put a hand down below.

“GIVE ME ANOTHER FUCKING CAN!” You scream over the gunfire. “DIE YOU MOTHER FUCKERS!”

You feel an ammo can make its way to your hands as the truck swerves violently, threatening to tip over.

“IED!” Igor shouts before a massive explosion sounds behind you, blowing a massive piece of the road apart as you continue down the unlit road at mach speed. “WE JUST MISSED IT TOVARISH!”

The gun continues to bark along as you chuck the nearly empty ammo can down into the cabin. You open the next can up, setting it inside the mount before you see the laser user focus again. You link up the belts and continue firing, keeping the gun fire up. More lasers make themselves known as you now begin sweeping the area with fire, trying to keep them down as you continue screaming obscenities at them. This is when you realize you should probably call it in. However, your gunfire would make you incapable of being heard, so you stop firing for a second and get down.

“VIKNA! CALL IN THE FUCKING AMBUSH!” You shout down into the truck as another IED goes off to the side, pushing it on two wheel before Igor gets it under control.

“I'VE GOT SOMETHING BETTER!” She screams back. “SHIELD YOUR EYES!”

You get down inside the truck and a blinding flash completely whites out your NVGs as you close your eyes. When you open them again, you pull up your NVGs and raise yourself up to see a massive laser running across the entire right side of the road. You feel the immense heat coming off it and duck down inside the truck for fear of being cooked alive. When the laser dissipates, you get back up and turn your night vision back on. The entire area was glowing and once it stopped, it reflected the sun like glass.

“Did you just fucking glass them?!” You ask over the rushing wind.

“Yes!” Vikna yells up. “Are you okay?!”

“I'm fine! You?!” You ask.

“I'm good!” She says.

“Igor, swap places!” You yell, getting down inside the turret as Igor holds the wheel.

You sit back down in the seat, heart pounding frantically as adrenaline surged through your system. You begin chuckling at first, slowly escalating into a full on laugh. Vikna joined in and so did Nytro, Ayn joining in before Igor began to laugh too. You just survived 2 IEDs and a sniper! The Jolt is still running and everyone is uninjured.

“We fucking lived!” You yell. “Holy shit, we fucking lived!”

“URRAAA!” Igor shouts at the top of his lungs. “ZA RUJINU!”

“Fuck, that was tense!” Nytro yells before Igor points up to the turret. “Fuck that man, he asked you to do it.”

“Then give my your night vision suka.” He says, holding his gloved hand out.

Vikna snickers at this and Nytro gives him the night vision, which he takes off the mount and puts on his own helmet. He flips them down and groans.

“This is going to be long drive.” He says, rotating the turret back toward the front.

2 hours later

You make it to the space port after much effort, having been shot at nearly the entire way until you were picked up by a proper Army convoy. Igor nearly got shot by a sniper, a hole being punched clean through the glass on the turret before he was able to kill them with the 50. The engine was shot and leaking fluids, the temperature needle being pinned to the red as you stop the truck in front of the checkpoint. They immediately open the gate for you, not bothering to check for ID when they see the look in your eye. You drive inside and the engine seizes up mid way through, stopping the truck cold. You sigh, putting the truck in park before hitting the air brakes, a loud and sharp whoosh of air coming from below.

“Is everyone okay?” You ask, worn out. “One okay.”

“Two okay.” Nytro says.

“Three okay.” Vikna adds.

“Four okay.” Ayn replies.

“Five okay.” Igor finishes.

You open the door and an army Specialist makes his way to the Jolt, a look of worry on his face, which was illuminated by the myriad of lamps posted around.

“Gunnery Sergeant, are you wounded?” The young man asks.

“I'm fine. My team is fine.” You reply on auto pilot. “Truck is fucked. Engine seized.”

He nods and you step out of the truck, the door to Ayn's side opening as well. You close the door and take off your helmet, pulling your cover up from your belt and putting it on. When that's on, you rip the Velcro off and remove your plate carrier, throwing it back in the rear of the truck before Ayn closes the door.

“Where is the Emperor?” You ask.

“He's in building C5.” He replies. “There's someone waiting for you there.”

You nod and turn on a dime, walking to the building as you look behind you, seeing everyone following suit. When you make it to the exceedingly large building, you see a familiar AI waiting outside the door for you. When she sees you, she waves before you reach her, giving you a smile.

“Hello mister Jackson.” She says cheerfully. “I was told to greet you happily.”

You pull her into a hug, just glad to finally be out of the truck. She seems perplexed by this before putting her arms around your back as well, you patting her back a couple times before letting go.

“I sure hope miss Vikna does not mind this interaction.” She says. “Speaking of, where is miss Vikna?”

You look back and see her jogging after you. When she reaches you, she pulls ARA into a hug, which she returns quickly.

“I have missed you miss Vikna.” She tells her.

“I missed you too ARA.” Vikna says, her tail flicking back and forth happily.

She stays like this for a while before ARA begins blushing, letting her go.

“I believe that is the acceptable cut-off point for a lengthy hug.” She says, Vikna following suit.

“Yeah, sorry about that.” She says.

“Well, let's go. The Emperor was expecting you an hour ago.” She says.

You enter the building and Vikna follows closely behind, everyone else making their way in with the exception of Igor. The hallway is bustling with activity from both humans and anthros alike. Most of them wore military uniforms and were carrying papers or holographic tablets. ARA leads you through winding hallways, all exhibiting the same activity as the entrance before you make it to an unmarked room. The door slides open and you see Mattis sitting in the room with an Army General sitting next to him. Radoslav is sitting at the other end of the table, watching whatever was being shone on screen. A Russian commander and a British LT Colonel are watching the screen as well while Mattis and the Army General continue speaking. Fluff is sitting on the side with Radoslav, looking completely lost as to what's going on. You step into the room and Fluff's weird ear things swivel a bit before turning to you. This draws the attention of Radoslav, which draws the rest of the rooms eyes to you. You pop a salute and stand at attention before the commanders.

“Gunnery Sergeant Haigs reporting as ordered, sir!” You yell.

“What took you so long, uh, Gunnery Sergeant?” The LT Colonel asks.

“This Marine's vehicle came under heavy fire, which delayed our arrival, sir!” You reply.

“Bloody hell, I thought they cleared that road.” He says. “What road did you take sailor?”

“Road 531 North, sir!” You reply.

“At ease son, you're gonna give yourself a stroke.” Mattis says, prompting you to stand at parade rest. “We were just reviewing some footage the Emperor has so gladly provided.”

You look up at the screen and see yourself in the EOD suit, the Emperor holding the pipe you ripped off the wall for him to channel his magic through. Seems he actually covered your rear for you while Vikna and ARA carried ammunition for the gun.

“Don't be such a bore Mattis, it's for entertainment.” He says. “I like watching memories like little movies from time to time.”

“Wait, is that you inside that suit Gunnery Sergeant?” The LT Colonel asks.

“Yes, sir.” You reply.

“Took you that long to notice?” The Russian asks.

“Well I can't exactly see too well, now can I?” The Colonel asks, adjusting his glasses.

“I think it's entertaining. Looks like something you'd see in a movie.” The Army General says. “You're a real Captain America, kid.”

“Thank you, sir.” You say.

“Please, find a seat.” He tells you. “Same with your furry friends. Find somewhere to sit.”

You nod, making your way over to the table and sitting next to Fluff. You look back and see everyone bow slightly to Radoslav before you look back at Fluff again. He gives you a smile and everyone sits to your right, staying as far away from Radoslav as possible. This makes him chuckle, knowing exactly what's going on.

“So, about this ambush.” Mattis says. “What happened exactly?”

“Our truck was ambushed with IR laser weaponry and gunfire, sir.” You reply.

“What about the rest of your convoy?” Mattis asks. “What happened to them?”

“It was only us.” You say. “We got lost, sir.”

“You know I could've dispatched a shuttle for you, right?” Fluff asks.

“I was not informed of this before my departure.” You reply, clenching your fists angrily. “I will make note of it in the future.”

“Well, did you try to get a convoy going?” Mattis asks.

“I did, sir.” You reply.

“Then you're not totally at fault.” He says. “On a more positive note, the stories the Emperor has told me have me intrigued.”

“How so, sir?” You ask.

“He told me you took on a company of tanks by yourself and won.” He says.

“I don't recall ever doing that, sir.” You tell him. “I do remember taking over a battle cruiser though.”

“I did think that story was a little bit ridiculous.” Radoslav says. “What about saving the queen of Siania from a brain wave manipulator?”

“My role in that operation was minimal.” You reply.

“I'm calling bull on that one.” Ayn says. “You planned it out and shot that device. All we did was hold the blue guard back.”

“Ayn...” You say meekly. “It wasn't anything to brag about.”

“Play the video then.” She says.

“I really don't want to.” You say, feeling your cheeks heat up.

“Come on sweetie. Do it or I'll play my own version.” She says.

“Play it son, that's an order.” Mattis says with a smirk of his own.

“Yes, sir.” You reply, opening up your neural link and quickly skipping past everything that wasn't safe for work.

When you get to the part you want played, you open it up on the big screen after Radoslav turns off his own implants.

“I personally love watching Jackson work~.” Radoslav says in a manner that makes you very uncomfortable.

“Thank you, sir?” You ask uncertainly.

You play the video and Ayn kicks open the doors to the throne room and you deliver a less than optimal line before Vikna begins freezing men to the ground. Ayn quickly dispatches the men who make it through before your vision goes blurry. You fall to the ground, cries of agony coming from the speaker as you balance on the rifle before you turn around. You grab the spear from the man and whack him over the head with it, using your sling to steady the shot. Ayn proceeds to tell you not to hurry but hurry before you look through the scope, eyeing the device that looks like an Alexa next to her. You take the shot and the machine sparks, blowing smoke as the queen begins writhing in her seat.

“Holy cow, what a shot!” The Army General says. “Aren't those things only an inch across?”

“I didn't take the time to measure it.” You reply, watching past you get choked out by the queen.

At this point, Sabir has had enough and smacks Kesis, causing her to lose focus and drop you to the ground. It makes Mattis chuckle a bit.

“Wait, dad slapped mom?” Ayn asks before bursting into laughter.

You look back at Ayn and see her laughing hysterically, leaning over the table a bit before it tapers off a bit later.

“I can't imagine how long he wanted to do that for.” She says.

“Is there a reason I was brought here?” You ask Fluff more than anyone.

“You're here on break.” He replies. “Mandatory break. So sit back and relax. Vikna told me you've been going on patrols every other day.”

“He even got sick and I had to basically force feed him a cold cure.” Vikna adds.

“I thought a days break was adequate.” You say, feeling the pressure of everyone in the room watching you.

“Why do you think I forced you to...rest so often?” Vikna asks, probably meaning something else entirely. “Other than me being tired all the time.”

“I guess that makes sense.” You tell her. “Sir, will I be punished for going solo across enemy territory and damaging Marine Corps property?”

“No, the mechanics will have the JLTV fixed up in no time.” He replies. “You'll be fine, son. As long as you don't make a stupid mistake like that again. Safety in numbers.”

“Thank you, sir.” You tell him. “Is there anything else you need?”

“No, you're dismissed.” He replies. “Go get some rest. Actual rest.”

You get up, saluting before turning toward the door, walking out as he dismisses everyone else.

10 hours later

You wake up to a knock on the door, making you groan as Vikna stretches her arms out a bit. When they return to your side, she opens her eyes and gives you a gentle smile, which make you pull her into a kiss. Both of you let go and you get up, dressing yourself in your skivvies before walking to the door. When it opens, you see a little white bun down at your waist and see Warning standing at the door.

“This unit hopes she did not disturb you.” Warning says. “She will leave if it is still too early.”

“I'm fine, first time I've gotten a straight 9 hours of sleep in a while.” You tell her. “What's up?”

“This unit has found someone who has finally made it out of his shell.” She says with a smile. “He wishes to finally thank you after what you did for him in the Tower.”

You smile as she waves a very large bird over to the doorway, him giving you a smile.

“Uh, do I know you?” You ask. “Not to be rude, but I don't remember you at all.”

“Well, not in this form, no. I was reverted to my male form and given my previous designation of TVK.” He replies with a smile, holding out a feathery hand. “I am thankful you managed to save my personality and deep learning core. Your contribution to AI storage has also been noted, as the chip you stored me in was found to be over 200 times more efficient and compact than the normal AI cores. We still do not understand how to properly utilize the effects correctly, as replicating it has...varied results, to say the least.”

“As in?” You ask.

“One scientist was thrown into a teleportation loop for 9 years.” He says. “She was in a 9 year loop for 7 minutes.”

“I...don't know what to say.” You say. “Sorry...I guess.”

“It is not your fault.” He says. “We should not have meddled with your things.”

“Well, do you mind if I get dressed really quick?” You ask. “I don't think it's appropriate to be walking around in a T-shirt and underwear.”

“I will leave you to it. ARA has said she wants you to come and hang out with her. I never understood leisurely activities, but maybe her taking me on one may change my mind. I do enjoy walking around the space port for a change.” He says with a smile.

“I'll be out in five.” You tell him.

“Five what?” He asks. “What does five quantify?”

“Minutes. It can quantify other things, but it's all contextual.” You reply. “I'll be out in 5 minutes or so.”

He nods and you close the door, walking back to get dressed.

30 more minutes later

You finally arrive at the bridge of the Capitol ship, where ARA was hooked up to a console and happily typing away. She was humming something to herself, which you recognized from one of your old CDs. The Captain was sitting in his chair, talking with ZTA as she tells him the current state of the vessel. She has a large cable attached to one of her hair mounted sockets, leading to a very large console that appears to have come out of the floor. He turns back and you give him a salute, which makes him smile.

“Don't worry, son. This vessel isn't strictly military.” The old leopard tells you. “We may be staffed by military personnel, but it's only due to the efficiency in which Katrician naval personnel train. No need for salutes.”

You nod and look back at ARA, who's turned around by now.

“Oh, hello miss Vikna.” She says. “I was a bit busy. Sorry for not acknowledging your presence sooner.”

“You said you had some recreational activities planned for TVK.” She says, causing ARA to disconnect her tail.

“I do. I just had to finish up today's quota.” She replies. “The onboard AI and computers can handle the rest of the load for today.”

ARA gets up from her chair, it floating a bit further off the ground before returning to its previous position. She makes her way to TD-er, TVK and they both smile, a picture showing up on your earpiece. It's a cutesy looking drawing of ARA holding a sword up as she rides TVK like a dragon. An arrow points to TVK saying “Big Brother” and to ARA saying “Me!!!”. He blushes at this and ARA looks up in confusion before looking over at you. She must see the picture, as she begins blushing profusely.

“I've always wanted to try it!” She says. “When you got your female form, I was very much disappointed.”

“I'm afraid you're too heavy to carry during flight ARA.” He says.

“But Vaaale!” She begs. “I can always lighten myself!”

“You're not very aerodynamic either. It would be difficult to fly with you in this position to say the least.” He says, ARA beginning to lead you all from the bridge. “I'm afraid I still can not do that.”

“Fine, I guess I'll just have to settle with flying with mister Jackson-” She says before her eyes flash red. “It appears I have experienced a block. I am unfortunately unable to relay the information through voice without permission from a Rook or mister Jackson.”

You all continue moving through the hallways, people giving strange looks to you, some less friendly than others. One of the canines you pass growls at you, but you ignore him. When you make it into what could be considered a living area, the looks became much more friendly.

“What was all of that about?” You ask.

“Officers don't really like me or anyone who's with me.” She replies. “It's too much trouble to correct every one of them, so I don't say anything unless I need to.”

You see a couple of girls, a feline and a fox, staring at you from across the way, ARA leading you past them as you enter a massive dome-like area.

“Welcome to the plaza.” ARA says.

You look around and see trees, a waterfall, grassy fields, and flowers all over the place. The walkways are bustling with activity as people walk around and look at the plants. There's large signs pointing to different areas of the ship and a large text billboard similar to one you've seen on TV in New York, except this one is in Katrician. There's drones flying all around, doing various things like watering plants and sweeping up garbage. As you make it along the pathway, TVK runs his feathers along the grass with a grin.

“Do you like swimming mister Jackson?” ARA asks.

“I didn't think to pack a bathing suit.” You reply. “I don't remember the last time I went swimming either.”

“Are you out of practice?” ARA asks. “We have flotation devices if you feel uncomfortable.”

“No, I don't need a swimmy.” You say with a chuckle. “I think I can swim just fine.”

“ARA, why didn't you tell us before you suggested this?” Vikna asks. “I don't have a bathing suit I feel comfortable wearing and there are no skinny dipping pools onboard.”

“I would never set foot in a skinny dipping pool miss Vikna.” ARA says.

“What is a skinny dipping pool?” TVK asks, taking his feathers away from the grass and flowers. “What is skinny dipping for that matter?”

“Naked swimming.” Vikna replies.

“I am definitely not confident enough in myself to keep calm in one of those.” You say.

“You're just pussing out.” Vikna says.

“Yeah, I am.” You tell her. “I like keeping my privates private. I'm the guy who showers in his underwear in communal showers.”

“Well not to worry mister Jackson. You will not need to expose yourself on this ship.” ARA says, easing your fears. “I guess that is one idea I must discard.”

You look around and see birds flying to and from trees, some of which you recognize while others are completely foreign. It reminds you that you're on an alien world instead of just another country. You hear a gasp come from beside you and see a skunk looking at you with starry eyes. You back away on reflex, but then remember it's probably not going to spray. Probably.

“A-are you him?!” She asks, pointing to you.

“Uh, who is him?” You ask.

“Oh my god, it's you!” She yells. “You're that human who liberated the Katrician interplanetary space port!”

“Uh...yes, that's me.” You say, a bit uneased by her enthusiasm.

“Can I take a picture with you?!” She asks loudly.

“I guess.” You say, her making her way over to you.

She pulls out a small drone and it floats up into the air, doing a few circles before pointing a lens at you. She walks up to your side and wraps an arm around your back, smiling wide as you give a more modest smile. The camera beeps a few times and she squeals, grabbing the tiny drone and shoving it back in her pocket. She bounds off and you look back at Vikna, who's just as confused as you are.

“I...didn't know anyone knew who I was.” You say. “ARA, has anyone done that to you? Any humans, that is.”

“Actually, a couple have.” She replies, continuing onward through the plaza. “I politely directed one elsewhere and had another one apprehended.”

“I assume they tried to have sex with you?” You ask.

“Yes. They did not realize that the rules that apply in your world apply in mine too. Rape is still illegal and anthroid rape onboard Katrician vessels is punishable by death. At the hands of the one who was raped.” ARA explains. “We have anthroids for that express purpose and I am not one of them.”

“Rape?” TVK asks with a puzzled look.

“No! Sexual intercourse!” ARA yells back.

“I apologize. I do not get out much.” He says. “It is not a priority to remember what types of anthroids we have aboard this vessel, only how much mass they have.”

“Alert! We are receiving a message from the director!” Warning yells out.

“I see.” ARA says. “Mister Jackson, you have 4 days of leave left before you go back to outpost Garland. Oops, I almost forgot that I am not supposed to use non-verbal communications when in the presence of organics.”

“Thanks for the notice ARA. You too Warning.” You say, finally seeing the sign you were moving toward. “Where are we going exactly?”

“To conquer Earth!” ARA says with a smile. “I am only joking. We are going to the food court and then the VR room. I understand you were woken abruptly and may not have had time for food.”

“You just want a doughnut, don't you?” Vikna asks.

“This is also correct.” ARA replies. “I promised to show Vale what eating really is.”

“Why the VR room?” You ask.

“Miss Vikna had always told me how much fun she had with you in your last VR scenario, so I wish to see it for myself. I assume you know how the scenarios work, right?” She asks in reply.

“I do.” You tell her. “Maybe we could do a scenario from Vikna instead.”

“I think not.” Vikna says. “I don't feel like doing VR. However, I do feel like going shopping. Do you know you've been getting a pension in the Katrician military as well as your normal pension?”

“Who, me?” You ask.

“Yes, you.” She replies. “I think you have a few thousand from a month of service.”

“When did this happen?” You ask. “I don't remember signing up for anything like that.”

“I did it for you.” She says, pulling out a metallic, unnecessarily luminescent wallet and a suspicious looking piece of paper. “Here's your social security card back.”

You take it from her, sighing as you take out your older leather wallet. You stuff it back inside for now until you could get home again.

“I'm pulling out after the war.” You tell her. “I'm not exactly allowed to be part of two military bodies at once.”

“Fine, your choice.” She says with a smirk.

“So, how have things been miss Vikna?” ARA asks as you step through the door to another large and long metal hallway. “I haven't heard from you in over a month.”

“Well, I think the biggest event was that him and I got hitched.” Vikna says, taking your hand in hers.

“I do not understand, what does that mean?” She asks.

“I proposed to her and she said yes.” You reply.

“Wait, so you're married now?” ARA asks.

“Not officially, but as far as I'm concerned, we're married.” Vikna replies. “We're going to have a small wedding, since I'm not one for that kind of thing. I don't think I'd like it.”

“Congratulations!” ARA says with a smile. “I'm very happy for you.”

“Thank you. That means a lot coming from you ARA.” Vikna tells her.

“How has he been treating you?” ARA asks curiously.

“Very well.” Vikna says with a smirk. “He can't seem to get a break.”

“I can hold off on sleeping for tonight if you want to do anything.” You say with a smile of your own.

“I'll, uh, see.” She says uneasily.

“W-well, uh, anyway, how have you been doing mister Jackson?” She asks, being flustered as the rest of the AI look around in confusion. “Please, do not talk about sexual intercourse, no matter how underhanded. I do not wish to hear about it.”

“Well, I got promoted to Gunnery Sergeant.” You say, pointing to the patch on your blouse. “I've been going on combat patrols every other day for the past month or so, which has made me very exhausted.”

“I am afraid I can not allow you to skip breakfast.” ARA tells you with a smile. “It is bad for you to skip meals.”

“Don't know what I'd do without you guiding me.” You tell her sarcastically.

“See! I told you he was here!” The skunk woman yells, drawing your attention to her pointing a small group of people to you.

“It really is him! Weird camouflage and all!” One of the men says, making his way up to you at a decent pace. “C-can I have your autograph?”

“I...sure. My handwriting isn't great though.” You say with a fake smile.

He holds out a space age looking notebook and you put Jack H on his notepad in terrible cursive. He looks at it and holds out a hand, you taking it and shaking his hand.

“Y-you're stronger than they said you'd be...” He says, taking his hand back and looking at it. “I don't think I'll ever wash this hand again.”

“Um, I'd recommend you do.” You tell him.

“O-okay!” He says with a smile, another couple girls making their way up to you.

“You saved us!” The two girls say almost in unison.

“I did?” You ask.

“We were in a building you cleared out with your Marines.” The one in glasses says. “I've been following your progress every day!”

“I'm flattered.” You say, a bit creeped out.

“We all know you were the one who saved the queen!” The other one, a small canine girl yells. “The bullet hole didn't match any known weapons at the time, so we took measurements from public security feeds and measured your barrel. It's 7.6 to 7.65 millimeters, isn't it?”

“It's 7.62, yes...” You say, pushing Vikna back a bit for her safety.

“SEE! I told you I was right!” She shouts back to the wolf with glasses before turning back to you. “You're the coolest human we've ever seen!”

“I...don't know what to say.” You tell her. “Thanks?”

“You're welcome!” She says with a wide and toothy smile. “I knew you'd be nicer in person!”

“Tell him the thing!” The coyote boy yells in the back.

“O-oh! I completely forgot...” She says, looking back at you with a blush. “Well...I was wondering if you'd like us all to properly thank you. Would you be willing to...uh...come with us? We all wanted to give you thanks in a more appropriate manner...”

You feel your heart skip a bit, looking down at Vikna whose mouth is open in shock. She can't believe what she just heard.

“I'm sorry, can you please specify what you want to do if I come with you?” You ask.

“We want to have and...uh...well...you know...” She says, backing away slightly as her face goes red.

“We want to have a gang bang.” The wolf girl says with a bit more confidence.

Instead of skipping a beat, your heart stops functioning altogether for about 3 seconds before you finally work up the courage to say something.

“What...” You say, utterly flabbergasted by the boldness of this.

“Oh...are you gay?” She asks. “Verlova can do it with you if you'd like.”

You look over to ARA, who's horrified by what she's hearing as the other two AI look on in shock.

“Are you being serious?” You ask in return, finally managing to suppress your surprise for more than a few milliseconds.

“Very!” She replies excitedly.

“I...I'm married.” You tell her. “My wife...she's right here.”

“O-oh...” She says, her ears folding back as she backs away even more. “Oh my god...it's the Kavkor...”

“Run, now.” You tell her.

She doesn't stand around waiting to be told again, running as fast as she could back toward the group, who also are running out of sight. When they leave, you take your arm away from Vikna and she looks back at you with a shocked expression.

“Did I act like that with any of you?” You ask.

“Not even remotely!” Vikna yells. “Oh my god, is this how people would've treated me if they found out who I was back on Earth?”

“A decent chunk, yes.” You reply. “I think I'm gonna need a stiff drink.”

“Do you wish for this unit to call the authorities and apprehend them for sexual harassment?” Warning asks. “It is a very serious offense on Katric and in the country of Liertz.”

“No, that won't be necessary.” You say. “I can't believe they can walk with those massive brass balls they have swinging between their legs. Metaphorical brass balls, that is.”

“Well...let us continue to the kitchen. I am sure you're hungry.” ARA says.

“I'm gonna get an Irish coffee.” You say. “Maybe two.”

20 minutes later

You're sitting at the table, adding a bit of whiskey to the coffee you ordered. You had fans, but the ones you met are kind of weird. It was flattering that they thought of you as a hero, but at the same time they wanted to do a gang bang with you. A homosexual gang bang at that. It was kind of unfortunate in a way, as none of them were bad looking, but you were married and weren't into guys either. As you spin the coffee around the glass, you take a swig and feel a pleasant mix of flavors making their way down your throat as you take another bite of your omelet.

“Vikna, what do you think I should've done?” You ask after swallowing the piece of omelet. “Should I have let them down a bit more gently?”

“I think you should've gotten a bit more mad.” She replies. “I regret not chasing after them and smoking them.”

“They were crew?” You ask.

“Yes they were crew!” She yells. “Everyone around you is crew aboard this vessel!”

“Hey, I don't know this stuff since everyone walks around in space age bath robes all the time.” You tell her.

“You're right, I'm sorry for yelling. I'm still angry that they'd have the gall to walk up and ask if you wanted to join in their fan orgy.” She says. “I'm glad you said no. That wolf in the glasses was actually pretty hot.”

“I have returned.” ARA says behind you, setting a plate of doughnuts down on the table. “This is a doughnut Vale.”

“I know what a doughnut is.” He says with a chuckle.

“They taste really good and I really like them.” She says, picking one up. “Just stick it in your mouth, chew until it is paste, and swallow. That's how you eat.”

“Chew until it is paste...” He says, picking up the doughnut and opening his mouth while feeling around his beak. “This will be interesting with no teeth.”

“You don't necessarily have to. Just make it small enough to fit down your throat.” She says with a chuckle. “Please excuse my poor explanation, I am currently only allocating a quarter of my cognitive power to interacting with you. Miss Viknas explanation only really fits organics who can feel pain.”

He smiles, looking over at Vikna before taking a bite of the doughnut. His eyes literally light up and flash, a smile making its way over his beak. It was kind of freaky to watch, not being used to a bird being able to smile. He notices you looking and raises an eyebrow as he begins grinding the food against his beak before swallowing.

“Is something wrong?” He asks.

“I just find it really weird to see a bird smiling.” You reply.

“I'd take offense to that if I was organic, but I am not. We are Avidae, not mere birds.” He tells you. “Please do not make the mistake again, as I fear for your safety when confronted with an easily offended member of my modeled species.”

“So, do you mind if I call you Vale?” You ask him. “I'm still tempted to call you TDK.”

“I do not mind.” He says with a smile. “Just do not call me big brother. That nickname is reserved for non-verbal communications only.”

You nod, taking another drink of your spiked coffee. He continues eating the doughnut happily as his ear-like feathers continue to flutter back and forth.

“Do you like it?” ARA asks.

“I do thoroughly enjoy this eating thing.” He says before taking another doughnut from the plate, which has begun to float now. “Energy bars are great and all, but I feel as though swallowing what amounts to a battery is not nearly as nice as this. I may have to do it more. It provides energy and passes time.”

“Please be aware that you will need to relieve yourself after you have eaten enough.” ARA says, making you cringe a bit. “I believe pellets come out of-”

“Not at the table!” Vikna yells.

“Oh! I forgot that it is considered rude to talk about this subject at the table. Since I am not permitted to use non-verbal communications in the presence of attentive organics, I will tell you later.” She says.

You finish your omelet before seeing a camera float in front of your face, taking a picture.

“No! Do not look at the camera!” A man says behind you. “Pretend it doesn't exist.”

You turn around and see a yellow lizard of some sort in a white robe, looking at you through a square he made from his fingers.

“Who are you again?” You ask.

“I'm making an article on humans.” He says. “People are wondering about the first human soldier to come here and are now wondering what will happen when the war is over.”

“Who was the first human soldier to come over?” You ask curiously.

“His name was Jackson I believe.” He says, looking at a virtual list before closing it off again. “He wasn't available for comment when I first requested an interview, but I've been trying to find him again.”

“Well, I must've been busy or tired at the time.” You tell him. “What do you want to know?”

He cocks his head before opening up a wrist mounted list, clicking on a name before your picture is revealed on the transparent screen. His eyes go wide as his jaw drops, looking at you and back down to the screen. His dropped jaw turns to an open mouthed smile as he begins laughing.

“I'm the luckiest man in the world right now!” He yells. “I just happen to stumble upon the man I've been following in the news for close to a year now!”

“I'll give an interview later today.” You tell him. “I already have plans for a while.”

“I understand. I will leave you my card.” He says, pulling a small holographic tablet from his pocket. “What time would you like?”

“Preferably 9 PM.” You reply. “Have a good one, uh, Brian Graham?”

“Yes, I changed my name to a more pronounceable name, since nobody could seem to pronounce Svetsglorna Aljeyet.” He says. “Call my number if you wish to start it sooner. I'll be on floor 32 in room 3 of the media sector.”

“I completely forgot the Capitol ship had a media sector.” Vikna says. “Do you mind if I come along?”

“I would love to see you there Kavkor.” He replies. “I hope you both make it on time. I will have the cameras ready by the time you arrive.”

You nod and he's off, walking back the way he came as his camera drone snaps a parting photo, leaving with him.

10 hours later

You're finally dressed in a uniform that's totally new to you. It was one that you never purchased, as you never thought that the service uniform was as cool looking as the dress blues. It was also made clear to you that the dress blues are ceremonial and shouldn't be used in the capacity you have been using them. You were thankfully corrected on this with Mattis telling you to get taped and get fitted for a pair of ESUs. They fit much more comfortably than the blues, as your blues were fit for your old height of 5'11”. Vikna was wearing a variation of her typical uniform, which was made of much softer fabric and even had a cover like yours. It displayed the many medals she has accumulated throughout not only the civil conflict and her service in peacetime, but her service during this war as well. Both of you remove your caps, you wearing a piss cutter and her wearing an ushanka type deal before knocking on the door to the media room.

You both wait in silence before the door opens, revealing Brian to have another human in the room. He was dressed in the Army equivalent to your uniform and you notice he's an LT Colonel. You pop a quick salute and he salutes back, prompting you to step inside. When the door closes behind you, the camera that is floating motionless in the air is pointed at a seat, which you choose to sit down. Vikna sits in the seat next to you, sitting up straight as you do the same.

“This isn't anything too formal.” Brian tells you. “You can relax a little.”

You look over to the man with a graying hairline and he nods, prompting you to lean back in the chair a bit. You're not wearing the dress coat, as it's too hot for something like that. Instead, you chose to wear the bravo variant, which was a khaki shirt, green pants, and a neck tie to match the shirt. Vikna also cut back on the insulation, with her uniform being much more suited to the normal temperatures of the temperate climate around you.

“First question.” He says. “What is your name and title?”

“My name is Jackson Haigs. I'm a Gunnery Sergeant in the Marine corps. I'm currently attached to the first Marine division as a company level NCO.” You reply.

“I'm Vikna Ramenskaya. I'm a Kavkor for the Katrician navy and am currently attached to the first Marine division as an observer and officer.” She says.

“Why are you both here?” He asks you both.

“I'm here because I was called to serve.” You reply.

“I'm also here for the same reason.” Vikna replies. “I was called upon to serve and I answered.”

“Kavkor, I can understand you being called here to serve, as your home world was attacked by terrorists, but why did you come?” He asks you specifically. “You came here on the fifth hour of the invasion. No aid was officially provided and no records of any foreign military sending aide was found.”

“Would you believe it if I said I heard a voice and a portal opened on my front lawn?” You ask.

“Certainly.” He replies. “Who was the one who contacted you?”

“I don't remember.” You lie, remembering it was Vikna who was calling out for you. “Really wish I could tell you.”

“I see...” He says, typing something on a tablet. “What about the incident at the Slogansk interplanetary spaceport? Why did you decide to stage a rescue operation to the last remaining civilian area to be evacuated?”

“There was a friend of mine there.” You reply. “She means a lot to me, as do all of my friends, so of course I wanted to save her. I learned there were people there as well, so I requisitioned some transports and men with the Kavkors permission and went out.”

“Were you scared?” He asks.

“I was terrified. Anyone who isn't is either a liar, a fool, or a combination of the two.” You reply. “I don't know about you, but I don't want to die if I can help it. However, people needed me and Marines don't back down because they're afraid of dying. I don't know any Marine who would've done any different.”

“What was her name?” He asks.

You look down at Vikna for advice and she nods, prompting you to speak.

“Her name is Zofie. I can't remember her last name, even though she told me a few times. She actually runs a bakery in the old world district of Liertz on Serko.” You say, trying to throw out free publicity for her. “She makes pretty much anything you could ever want, but specializes in cakes and pastries. Her bakery sadly burned down, but I'm sure it's back up and running again by now.”

“Can you tell us anything about the raids on Katric?” He asks.

“There's not much to say. The squad I led effectively eliminated all hostile elements from an entire quarter of the city while what was left of the Katrician military took back the other parts of the city. We did our jobs.” You reply. “How many people are going to view this?”

“Around a trillion, give or take. It's being transmitted on a special broadcast of 28 hours.” He replies. “Next question. What drove you to take control of the battle cruiser KES Satravolka?”

You feel a pang of guilt in your heart as you look at the ground, not really wanting to talk about it.

“Do I have to answer?” You ask.

“If you don't feel comfortable, it's okay to skip the question.” He replies. “Next question, what exactly happened on Siania the day the queen was found out to be a fake?”

“You'll have to ask Ayn about that one.” You reply. “She knows more about it than I do. Didn't do too much.”

“Don't be so modest.” Vikna says. “You made an amazing shot when you destroyed that brain wave manipulator.”

“I couldn't have done that without all of you helping me.” You tell her.

“I see.” Brian says. “As for the incident in the protected rain forest. What happened there?”

“Nothing.” You reply firmly. “I will not comment further.”

He looks over to Vikna and she shakes her head, causing him to shrug.

“Well I guess that's that. What about the incident at the Tower?” He asks. “There was a brief incursion where many believe the Emperor himself was captured. We have blurred out footage of you inside of a very large and bulky suit making your way to the command center. Do you mind telling us what you did?”

“I picked up a gun and some armor. I don't know how the EOD suit held up as well as it did, but my everything hurt after that.” You reply. “I can't comment on the status of the Emperor, as he was kicking ass with a pipe when I got to him, but I do know that he kept my ass safe.”

You didn't want to say that the Emperor was captured, as it would negatively impact your life expectancy. Brian seems to buy it, a look of pride in his eye before he speaks again.

“That's great.” He says. “What about the reports of a green human like android running around and being a vigilante? Do you have a stance on that?”

“I haven't heard of this.” You reply with faux surprise. “What's all this about?”

“Apparently, he completely took out an entire terrorist cell in Liertz by working with local forces. People who worked with him never saw his face and he evaded TV cameras until a short stint when he was spotted after bombing a front company. All civilians inside the building were evacuated before the bombs went off, collapsing the building. He was seen fighting on an abandoned camera before it was stopped rather abruptly.” He explains. “Conspiracy theorists are pointing toward you being the one inside the suit.”

“They're crazy.” You say, hoping he agrees. “I don't know why anyone would think that. There's no way I'd fill shoes that big.”

“I share the same sentiment.” He replies. “Now for you, Kavkor, do you remember what happened on the day this man popped out of nowhere?”

“Well, I was...worried. I was worried my planet and everyone on it would become like Siania. I thought terror and murder would run rampant and we were crumbling. Our morale was at an all time low to the point men were giving up and surrendering instead. These men had our military beat.” She replies. “I was holding up in my apartment complex, doing what I could to slow their advance on the Tower, but I was outclassed due to the inability of my weapon. That's when this guy opened my door and asked me what was going on.”

“So he teleported in and assessed the situation before taking charge?” Brian asks.

“Yes, he did.” She replies. “Now, of course I pulled my weight. If anything, he was slowing me down by carrying 140 pounds of sh-tuff, stuff up the stairs. However, we made it back to the Tower where we repelled a small incursion from a malfunctioning hangar bay.”

“Would you tell us more about this incursion?” He asks.

“No.” Vikna replies in the same manner you did.

“Understandable.” The reptile says before smiling. “So, what do you have to say to a quarter of the galaxy?”

“The entirety of the Katrician navy is behind you Siania.” Vikna says with a smile.

“What about you?” He asks, turning to you. “What do you have to say to the galaxy?”

“Don't worry Siania, we'll beat them back together.” You say with a smile.

“Oh, before we end off, do you mind us using pictures of you in our documentary?” He asks.

“I don't mind. I'll send them to you over the phone. They're not very high quality, but it's all I have from back in 2016.” You tell him. “The Iran pictures can be used too, I just prefer you don't use them because I look really sad in all of them.”

“What about you Kavkor?” He asks looking at Vikna. “Mind if we use your likeness too?”

“Sure, just make sure to get my good side.” She says with a chuckle. “As long as you don't try digging up embarrassing photos that would end our careers, I'm fine with it.”

He nods, tapping behind the camera and it floats off into the ceiling. He closes the data pad and you're about to get up when Brian clears his throat.

“I'm actually curious about one thing.” He says before you can get up. “Now this is a personal question, so you don't have to answer if you don't want to. I want to know why you keep fighting. Why don't you ever stop? What's the real reason?”

“Are all the cameras off?” You ask, looking around the room.

“Yes, all of them are off. I promise that nothing you say from this point on will ever leave this room.” He replies. “I'm just curious as to why you are still going.”

“Because I don't want my kids growing up in a place run by these Separationist assholes. I want my kids to be able to go outside and play without risk of being shot for having a light bulb in my house. I don't want to live in a place where they'll get drafted into a war against these fucking animals because they didn't want their kids getting on their phones past bed time! I don't want these fucking ass backwards cavemen blowing up any more god damn monuments because they don't like the way we live!” You reply, getting more heated. “I don't want any more men to die in a fucking sand box that has no strategic value! I don't want my sons dying in a fucking desert thousands of miles away from home because some stupid shit bags decide to blow up ANOTHER GOD DAMN SCHOOL!”

You take a deep breath, trying to calm yourself down as Vikna puts a hand on your shoulder. This does more than breathing alone, a wave of calm washing over you before Brian clears his throat.

“Well, I didn't know you felt so strongly about it.” He says.

“Kid's right.” The Colonel chimes in. “It's the same shit on a different day, except now it's in some sci-fi space universe where nobody in this system has heard of a standing army. Now they have a foothold, albeit a weak foothold, on a planet that's similar to the region they live in.”

“So they want to conquer the planet now?” Brian asks.

“That's correct. Gunnery Sergeant, you're dismissed.” The Colonel replies before waving you out.

You nod, getting up with Vikna and giving him a salute. He salutes back and you're both off as he continues talking about conquering the planet.

3 hours later

You're walking across the metallic surface of the hallway with Vikna in tow, holding bags she was keeping on the ship as you carry a couple bags of your own. You both make it to your quarters and get inside, setting the bags down before looking back at her. She smiles, brushing her hair away from her eyes before making her way over to you, undoing your tie with a smile.

“Guess it doesn't matter what universe you're from. Men still can't tie their own ties.” She says, taking off the tie as you smile back at her.

“I just want you as close to me as possible.” You tell her, pulling her into an embrace. “You're too beautiful to look at from afar.”

“Stop it.” She says with a giggle, blushing as she looks away. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” You tell her, planting your lips on hers briefly before pulling away.

“If you want to do anything tonight, just move me around. I'm too tired for anything too intensive.” She says.

“Oh...okay.” You say, having been in the mood ever since this morning. “I'll, uh, let you sleep.”

You begin stripping out of your belt and shoes, stripping both away before moving over to the closet. You take off your pants and pull one of the floating coat hangars out. You set your pants and belt on the bottom before stripping out of your shirt, letting it float next to the coat before it deploys a hook and hooks onto a bar. Completely unnecessary, but completely cool. You see a fuzzy hand reach past you and pull one off the hook before turning around. Vikna throws her dress on top of the floating coat hangar, causing it to bob up and down a few times before she guides it back to the closet. The hangar deploys a hook and sets itself down on the bar before she presses herself into the back of you.

“Carry me to the bed.” She says, holding onto your shoulders before putting all her weight on you. “I'm feeling lazy tonight.”

You turn around and put her into a bridal carry, which immediately turns into her kissing you the whole way to the bed. When you lay her down on top of the bed, you tuck her in and chuckle, watching her flick her tail around under the tightly packed covers.

“Are you sure you don't want to do anything?” You ask.

“I appreciate you finally being forward, but I'm not feeling it right now.” She replies, rubbing herself against your cheek “If you want, we can do it tomorrow night.”

“I'd like that.” You say before making your way to the other side of the bed and slide inside.

“Tomorrow night.” She tells you. “Unless I'm not feeling it, in which case, you can use me like a fleshlight. Good night.”

“'Night.” You tell her, feeling a pang of guilt in your heart. “Love you.”

“I love you too.” She says, everything fading away as she begins purring against your body.

2 hours later

Ayn

You're sitting down on a couch, turning on the holo-screen and searching for news stories. The men you were with earlier just wanted someone to talk to, which you were happy to provide. They talked about mistakes they made, people they wished they had said goodbye to, people they wish they had said hello to, that kind of thing. It was refreshing to get a more normal perspective on humans than what you're used to. There were a few oddities, but it wasn't anything new to you. Just a couple cases of people having regrets or something else of that caliber. When you finally make it to the search panel, you see a news broadcast for 28 hours, remembering you heard of a spinoff on Earth called 60 minutes. There was a tagline under it that interested you. It read “First human soldier to enter Rishan tells his story!” in bold text, which puzzled you. Why would they do a news story on some random guy when it hasn't even been a year yet?

“Next on 28 hours.” The show says before the smiling face of Jack is shown on screen.

“My name is Jackson Haigs.” He says before being cut off.

“We interview the first soldier to come through during the first 5 hours of what is now known as operation Teknoya Selinovska. He'll provide small bits of insight into what he experienced and how he changed doctrine in the Katrician military for centuries to come. All this after a word from our sponsors.” The man on the screen says before you pick up your phone.

You dial Zofie's number hurriedly, waiting for the FTL connection to go through before it finally picks up.

“Ja?” Zofie asks.

“Zofie, check out 28 hours.” You tell her. “I need to call Jack.”

“Okay.” She tells you. “Goodbye.”

You hang up without another word and tap Jack's number, hearing the phone dial for a little bit. The phone picks up and it's a little bit before anything is said.

“Hello?” He asks groggily.

“Jack, why didn't you tell me they did an interview with you?!” You ask, a bit disgruntled he didn't tell you.

“I tried calling you-sorry Vikna, Ayn just called me.” He replies before getting interrupted. “Anyways, I tried calling you, but you were busy doing stuff.”

“You should've called twice. I would've answered if you did that.” You tell him. “Anyway, the story is coming on. I'll record it for you if you want to watch it later.”

“Thanks Ayn. 'Night.” He says before hanging up.

You look back at the screen and see the tail end of a commercial before the trademark 28 hour clock begins ticking down. An ancient looking reel of film begins playing of 4 men raising a flag on top of an island, which you have absolutely no context for.

“This is Iwo-Jima.” The man on screen says, conveniently providing context. “An island on planet Earth where this famous video was taken. The battle lasted over a month with a well entrenched enemy who put up fierce resistance. This may not mean anything to many of you, but to the marines who are fighting for Siania's freedom it means the world. Some of you, however, may recognize this photo.”

The next picture is Jack standing on top of an APC, putting up the same flag in the video on top of an APC before the next picture shows him smiling down at the cameraman.

“This was a picture taken by Alkaly Serbonit, an exchange student from the Sianian country on Serko. Some of you may remember we covered this story in depth a few months ago.” He says. “We brought one member of the Katrician Navy and one member of the United States marine core, who was also the man in the photo. This is, of course, part of our segment on humans we have been doing for the past week, so check out our previous videos on the website below if you want to see more. Let's dive into it in this weeks episode, of humanavoya.”

A small video or different events happening plays as the name pops up in Common, which was odd considering most in the galaxy couldn't read the alphabet that was created. Maybe it was a stylistic choice instead.

“I'm Vikna Ramenskaya. I'm a Kavkor for the Katrician Navy and am currently attached to the first marine division as an observer and officer.” Vikna says, wearing a much thinner version of her usual fluffy duty uniform, alongside the cap she never wears anymore.

“Kavkor Ramenskaya is one of the youngest, if not the youngest female to attain the rank of Kavkor in the history of the Katrician Navy. She has not only served valiantly in the Katrician civil conflict, but she has also served in defense of the pride and jewel of Katric, the Tower.” The man says, showing a picture of her back when she first attained the rank of Kavkor. “An excellent naval strategist in every right, she commands one of the most successful electronic warfare vessels ever commissioned, which is a feat in and of it self. Being one of the very few users of Cryokinesis, as well as having a special forces certificate, she is not someone to be messed with.”

You giggle at this, remembering all the times she tried to freeze you and you'd just break out of the ice with your strength. It was funny to see her panic when she realized she couldn't win even with her magic. The video switches over to Jack sitting in an odd khaki shirt. He was even wearing a tie, which you've never seen him do. It was cute in a way.

“My name is Jackson Haigs. I'm a gunnery Sergeant in the marine core. I'm currently attached to the first marine division as a company level NCO.” He says, adjusting himself in the seat.

The next picture they show is him smiling brightly at the camera with a pair of sunglasses on and a helmet that looks like a desert version of his normal one.

“This is gunnery Sergeant Jackson Haigs, a hard man belonging to the marine core, spelled as corpse without an e.” The man says, showing another picture as you groan, having been spelling it wrong for close to a year now. “These marines are attached to the navy, much like masters at arms, but trained specifically to fight on the navy's behalf. They're treated as a more general version of special ground forces on Katric, being expert marksmen and generally being much more effective at eliminating targets than standard personnel. This definitely showed in his multiple encounters with the enemy, taking charge of the situation when even officers were too scared to make a move.”

All of this reminiscing is bringing you back a long ways. You remember you were at the party Vikna had when she was promoted. In fact, you snuck out because you wanted to congratulate her on her accomplishment. It was the first time you met her in person.

6 years ago

You look around the halls of the Tower, smiling as you admire the craftsmanship of the Katrician workers. It was much more stylish than the angle and pyramid obsessed designers of your world. Many men bowed in your wake as you stood tall above many of them. Why were there so many felines? You thought there might be at least one other species around this place, but it appears to all be cats. You look down at your phone and look up at the door, the translator working quickly to translate it to room V-51. This is the door you were looking for. When you turn into the door, it opens to around 15 people in a small room, food and drinks all being laid out as you finally see some diversity in species.

In the room are a canine, a fox, a wolf, and a few felines. They're all wearing military garb, being at least Kavkor and above as you see the guest of honor. She's sitting down, talking to another feline before you walk in, a few of the older men bowing gently. This catches her attention and she gets up from the chair, the men who were in front of her already bowing. When you make it to her, she's short. Very short. It's almost laughable how short she is. She bows before you and you chuckle.

“Princess Ayn.” She says. “I'm grateful to have you in our presence.”

“There's no need for that Habibi'ti.” You tell her with a smile. “Just call me Ayn.”

“Uh, okay.” She says, standing back up. “I'm Vikna Ramenskaya. Kavkor of the KES-”

“Yes, I've seen you on the Network.” You reply. “I wanted to come and meet the youngest Kavkor for myself.”

“Is this an official mission?” The short feline asks.

“No, it's not.” You reply. “I snuck out to come and see you.”

“Ayn, if you don't mind me saying, that's highly irresponsible.” Vikna tells you with a bit of ire in her voice. “Do you have any respect for the queens authority?”

“No.” You reply with a smirk. “None at all.”

“That...that's...” She says, the lack of respect seeming to break her. “Unbelievable! How can you not respect the queen, your own mother!”

“It's easy.” You say, holding the smirk. “You just don't.”

You see her face strain, jaw clenched tight as you looks up at you with malice. She's doing her best to match your height, sticking her nose up as you look down at her. It was so cute. You move your finger to her nose and touch her nose.

“Boop.” You say before chuckling.

“I didn't know you were so...insufferable!” She yells angrily. “How can someone have such a blatant lack of respect for orders?!”

“Vikna, please-”

“Not right now Giao!” She yells back at a feline before turning her attention back on you. “Do you have anything to say for yourself you insubordinate bitch?!”

“You're so cute when you're angry.” You tell her with a smile. “I could just eat you up.”

She finally snaps, throwing a sloppy punch that you back away from with ease. She loses her balance and falls forward into your tits, causing you to laugh. She pushes away from you, her cheeks turning from white to red in a matter of seconds. You continue laughing at her little stunt, a few of the other officers chuckling as well.

“So, now that we've gone this far, how about we finish it somewhere more...private~?” You ask.

Her face goes even more red than before, covering the entire front of her face as she grits her teeth again.

“Princess!” You hear yelled out from behind you before you feel a thump on the floor.

When you turn around, you see the telltale signs of a Kaltag AI on the felines red tail, their head being thoroughly planted into the floor. It was really cute, actually.

“There's no need for that.” You say. “Rise little AI. What's your name?”

“My name is Artificial Relay Administrator unit 0-1-1, but you may call me ARA for short if you wish.” ARA replies before getting off the ground, wearing an absolutely ugly white dress. “I apologize for any inconveniences I may cause, as I have only had this form for 1 year, 21 days, 20 hours, 32 minutes, and 43 seconds at the time of the completion of this sentence.”

“I think it's cute.” You say with a smile. “Do you have any nicknames?”

“I do not wish to be called the nickname I have been given.” She replies. “It is demeaning and makes me feel angry. I do not particularly like the feeling of being angry.”

“Who gave you the nickname?” You ask.

“Officer Sykra-er, Nytro did.” She replies. “He is not very nice.”

You see the door open and look up, seeing a man in a very complex set of robes enter the room. When he sees ARA, he smirks before his eyes rise to meet yours. He immediately takes a bow, the scabbard on his back clinking as he takes a knee.

“Princess, I had no idea you'd be here.” He says as you feel his libido begin to rise. “I would've worn something more fancy than my uniform.”

“There's no need for any of that.” You say with a smile. “Please, rise and come to me.”

He gets off the ground and makes his way to you, something feeling off about him. He had a feline eye on his right and a canine eye on his left. It was certainly odd to be sure. As he neared you could feel his libido begin rising even more, a bit of a strain making its way onto his face. When he reaches you, he's not much shorter than you are, which is an achievement not many people around here have made before. He looks over at ARA and smirks.

“Hey beep-boop, how you doing?” He asks, looking away from you with very well hidden awkwardness.

“I have requested multiple times you do not call me that!” ARA yells back.

He chuckles at this before making his way to you, going stiff as a board.

“You're cute.” You tell him with a smile. “What's your name?”

“Nytro Sykran.” He replies. “People just call me Nytro, ma'am.”

“Oh please, don't call me that. Call me Ayn.” You tell him with a smile. “Are you feeling alright?”

“I'm fine, why?” He asks, his libido still rising after all this time.

“No, I just thought you looked a little lonely.” You say with a smile. “Would you mind escorting me to a room on the habitation decks? I don't know my way around and I'm sure a knight like you would be perfect to escort a princess like me~.”

“I-I can do that.” He says, his cracks beginning to show. “I was only here to see the Kavkor.”

“Nobody invited you here either!” Vikna yells behind you.

He chuckles at that, looking back at ARA.

“Well, where would you like to go?” He asks.

“Anywhere you want~.” You tell him with a sultry look that makes his libido peak. “As long as you go fast. I don't want you embarrassing yourself.”

He blushes a bit and nods, waving you along.

“Why don't you keep him a while? You two would make a great couple!” Vikna yells after you.

“I will!” You yell back with a giggle. “Good luck being a Kavkor!”

You hear a “hmph” come from Vikna before following this “Nytro” fellow out of the door, feeling his libido go even higher. You both walk past a bathroom and you grab his shoulder, pulling him inside and closing the door behind you. It was a small bathroom, but more importantly, it was private. He turns back toward you when you release him and blushes, a noticeable bulge presenting itself in his pants. You begin relieving yourself of your dress, revealing the “bra” you were wearing which was just a bunch of string really. You were just as excited as he was, which makes you smile.

“P-princess, I-”

“Shh.” You say, putting a finger on his lips as you begin stripping him of his robes and weapon. “Let me work my magic.”

When his robes are removed and set on the floor, he's only wearing shorts and a short sleeve shirt underneath, the latter you remove with haste. His member was sizable, making you wet just thinking about it. When you remove his underwear, you figure out which dick he inherited really fast. The knot was in full view, making you grin as he twitches from the excitement. His hot breath left his mouth as you get on your knees, taking him in your hands. It has to be at least 6 inches long, if not longer. He had an odd bell shape around the tip of his cock that you've never seen before, but it probably felt really good inside. You stick out your tongue and wrap it around his dick as best you can, hearing him groan as his legs quiver. You remove yourself from him and chuckle.

“Please, sit down.” You tell him. “It'll make it easier for me to work and easier for you to finish.”

“W-why are you doing this with me?” He asks, sitting down on the ground. “Not that I'm ungrateful, I just want to know.”

“Because you're in need.” You reply. “I can feel just how pent up you are and I want to help you release that frustration. You were chasing ARA because of it, weren't you?”

“N-no...” He says before you give him a knowing smile. “...yes.”

“I guarantee she won't feel nearly as good as I do.” You say with a smile, positioning your exposed tits over his dick. “She doesn't have these, does she?”

You slide them down over his cock and he gasps, resting on his elbows as his head rolls back. You begin moving yourself up and down, squeezing your assets around him as you stick his tip inside your mouth. He's twitching like crazy, beginning to pant as you moan on top of his tip. You can feel him get close and smirk, moving your hands around the lower part of your boobs and squeezing them gently. He groans and a thick, sticky spurt of precum shoots into the top of your mouth as you keep going, not intent on letting up until he finishes.

“S-so good!” He yells, laying on his back as his claws scratch the ground. “F-fuck, yo-you're gonna suck me d-dry!”

You giggle at this, and keep moaning on top of him, the salty and slightly sour taste of canine precum making itself known in your mouth. You go slightly faster feeling him begin to buck up into you. He was so cute. Definitely a keeper. He finally groans, his member twitching violently as you squeeze his knot gently. His grunts then turn to moans as he shoots hot and sticky ropes of cum into your muzzle, legs straight as boards while magic flows through your fingertips. A sudden blast of cum blows into the top of your throat as he bucks hard, your magic working its...magic. He continues to moan as his extra long orgasm finally tapers off, the salty and sour taste of cum sticking to your tongue as you remove yourself, a few small spurts coating your tits in his fluid.

“Thick like a feline's, but not nearly as small of a load. It also doesn't taste like piss.” You say, swallowing it all down. “Not watery like a canine's either. You're the complete package.”

“I-I've been-hah-told.” He says with a smile, a little dribble of cum making its way down his cock.

This simply won't do, and you take his tip in your mouth and suck everything out. He begins to shake with ecstasy as his post cum sensitivity is as high as anyone elses. When he's sucked dry, you pull off and he's panting gently, looking down as you begin licking his jizz off your tits.

“Let's go finish this in that room I wanted.” You say with a smile.

“I-I won't be ready for another half hour at least.” He tells you. “We'd have to wait.”

“Not with this.” You say, making an aura of enchantment on your hands with magic. “I can do anything you want to anything you want.”

“Oh my god, you're so hot.” He says, laying his head back on the floor.

“I've been told.” You say, throwing his words back at him with a chuckle. “Hope you can walk!”

Present day

You smile, remembering it like it was just yesterday. You had completely missed the rest of the programming, making you a bit sad. It was probably just stuff you knew all about. Remembering the first time you met a few of your friends is much less boring than watching 28 hours. They somehow manage to make something as interesting as your empire as mundane as a documentary. When you're about to go back into thought, you hear a couple knocks at the door.

“Come in.” You say.

The door opens and you see Jack standing at the door, a look of worry on his face.

“Can I talk to you about something?” He asks.

“Sure, what do you need?” You ask in reply.

“Uh, I might need to sit down.” He says, the door closing behind him. “You mind?”

“Not at all.” You say with a smile, watching him make his way to the couch. “What's on your mind?”

“Do you think I...broke Vikna?” He asks, sitting down before looking at the ground. “I asked her if she wanted to...you know, and she said she didn't want to. I'm really scared that we did it too hard and she doesn't want to go anymore.”

You chuckle a bit, having remembered telling her not to fuck so often or she'd not want to do it for a while.

“It's totally understandable.” You say, looking at his worried face. “You didn't break her, she's just worn out from pushing herself so hard. You may not realize it now, but for her, doing it with you is a lot of work. You're big and heavy while she's small and light. She never was able to last very long and I told her to slow down or this would happen.”

“So, I didn't hurt her?” He asks.

“No, not at all!” You tell him. “She's just exhausted. Don't worry too much sweetie.”

“What about you? Has that ever happened to you before?” He asks.

“When I was young and inexperienced, yes. I wasn't as strong back then as I am now, which didn't help.” You reply, remembering when you were barely of age. “I was...extremely active back then.”

“Even more than now?” He asks, surprised.

“A lot more. I didn't know how to cope with my powers like I do now, so I had sex with every guy who got turned on by me, which was most of them.” You reply. “I know I was a huge slut back then, but I've matured. Sort of.”

“Back when I was that age, people used to make fun of me for being a virgin all the time. Kind of wish I had a body like yours when I was 18. It would've made me feel great about myself.” He says.

“Huge tits and a perfect ass?” You ask with a smile.

“N-no! I wish I had big muscles and a toned body. Not huge tits.” He replies defensively. “Wish I could lift a stack of steel beams without even trying. It would make everything so much easier.”

“Well, we're all dealt different hands. Mine was just lucky.” You reply. “I know you could've gone further with your augments, why didn't you go for the full 350 percent increase in muscle mass?”

“I saw an image of what I'd look like and it was...ugly.” He says, looking down at his already sizable bicep. “I would've looked like a boss from a video game, an ugly boss. Big fuck off arms and legs and I'd be almost 7 feet tall. I wouldn't fit inside the armor I was given, which was why I was augmented in the first place. I took the augment with the minimum required muscle mass and maximum bone strength. Some miscellaneous augments like enhanced eyesight and extreme reflexes were bonuses, but I didn't want to look like some body builder reject.”

“Sounds kind of hot.” You tell him.

“You think everything is hot.” He tells you.

“True.” You say with a smile. “I could tell when I first touched you that you weren't always the ugly bastard tag. That was from the service, right?”

“Yeah, I had to carry a big gun up and down mountains.” He replies. “It was hard work. I still looked like I ate another man though.”

You chuckle at that and so does he, his mood noticeably improved.

“You didn't sound too worried about it when I was first around you.” You tell him. “Why'd you decide to go on runs and lift weights?”

“I knew Vikna was going to nag me if I didn't start being proactive.” He replies. “You remember what she did a week after I started exercising, right?”

“Yeah, she made you keep running 10 miles back and forth.” You reply. “I remember you collapsed a couple times at first.”

“Yeah, but it got me in shape.” He says with a smile. “Remember when I first took you flying and you thought my plane was going to shake apart?”

“I never heard something that flies make that much noise in my life.” You reply. “I'm used to sitting in a cabin with nothing but a low hum in the background.”

“I still remember when I told you all to leave and get something to eat when I had to talk with Vikna.” He says with smile. “I still regret not telling you all sooner.”

“Better late than never.” You say. “Don't feel bad. I kind of figured as much with how much I do it.”

“I also remember I had to clean the carpets on that van before I sold it off.” He says. “I looked at it with a UV light and there was fluid everywhere.”

“I may have gotten a bit carried away on the way back...” You say, looking away from him. “And on the way there...”

“Right...” He says. “Remember when I took all of you out camping and taught Zofie to cook using a campfire?”

“I remember she nearly had a heart attack when you put a steak on hot coals.” You say with a smile. “'Oh no! Meat doesn't go directly on the fire! That's verbotten!' or something like that.”

“Well, that was until she tried it.” He says with a smile. “ARA was spooked by everything except the deer coming up to our camp.”

“I remember she tried talking to it and it kicked her in the face before running off.” You tell him. “She chased after it for a mile before walking back to the camp.”

“Didn't she kill it?” He asks.

“No, she just said she did.” You reply.

“I remember taking all of you fishing on the lake and you were really bored the entire time.” He says with a smirk.

“Sitting on a boat and waiting for something to tug on a line is not fun.” You tell him. “Now what I did below deck, that was fun.”

“I know, I heard. For eight hours.” He says with annoyance. “The fuck were you even doing to the poor guy below deck?”

“Edging him for an hour before he came.” You reply. “Then I did it again and again for a while. Twix was such a cutey.”

“Didn't he do it with Nytro in the basement once?” He asks.

“He tried, but Nytro said he wasn't taking it up the ass for Twix at all. Said he wasn't manly enough. That made him really mad and the two fought before they hate fucked each other.” You reply. “I went in there to break them up and calm them down since they were both starting to hurt each other.”

“That's...gross.” Jack says with a shake of his head.

“Didn't Vikna give you a blowjob one of the last few days we were there?” You ask.

“Uh...” He says, looking away. “It was really quick and she told me it didn't really mean anything.”

“Sounds just like her.” You say, crossing your arms. “At least you weren't like her old boyfriend. I took him for a ride and he blew really fast. This wasn't 'oh, he didn't last a minute' fast, this was 'he didn't even last 10 seconds' fast.”

“That...was about how long I lasted.” He says, his face going flush. “Said it didn't mean anything and she just wanted to say goodbye before you or Zofie could get to me.”

“I assume it was more colorful than that?” You ask.

“Just a bit.” He replies.

“Well, you're not as bad as some of the guys I've been with.” You say. “I remember one came in his pants before he even got them off. I had to use numbing magic just to keep him from blowing his load before I even touched him.”

“Jesus.” Jack says with a chuckle. “I'd hate to be that guy.”

“Just remember someone always has it worse off than you do.” You tell him.

“What about back at the palace?” He asks. “About me being different?”

You feel your blood run cold as you remember exactly what he was talking about.

“Didn't we already talk about this?” You ask with a nervous laugh.

“I didn't remember.” He replies.

“Well...I...you know...was considering you as a lover. My first real lover.” You explain awkwardly. “This was so much easier the first time.”

“Do you still love me?” He asks, turning to you.

“I like you as a friend.” You reply with a sigh. “I understand that you fell for Vikna and I'm mature enough to understand that you don't exactly want a Harem.”

“Yeah, I don't really like to break from tradition too much.” He says before yawning and stretching. “Well, I'm beat. Really glad we had this talk and I enjoyed looking back on our time together. Thanks for the help.”

“Any time.” You tell him with a cheerful smile.

He gets up and looks back at you, smiling before making his way to the door. Before he exits, he turns his head a bit.

“You're a great friend Ayn. Don't let anyone say otherwise.” He says in a soft and comforting tone.

He leaves the room without another word. He doesn't really know what to say very often, but when he does, it's more meaningful than anything even your best poets could come up with. You lay back on the couch, smiling at that. He's such a sweet guy, even though he may fumble his way through some conversations. This wasn't one of those times. You look back at the holo-screen, smiling. He's a great friend too.

Jack

You're walking along the hallway back to your room, tired from having slept a grand total of 2 hours. You watched the documentary, having seen they talked about major events in history. They even compared you raising the flag on that APC to the Marines who raised the flag on Iwo. It flattered you, but it wasn't even a fair comparison. You were basically posing for a camera and the guys on top of that hill were raising a flag to signify the hill was captured. When you turn the corner, you see an officer holding a microphone, talking to various news cameras and reporters as well. He was looking generally charismatic, as most senior officers do. He looks back at you and you give him a salute, the cameras pointing toward you.

“Is that him?!” A reporter asks.

“That's our Gunnery Sergeant. Came all the way from camp Garland.” The LT Colonel replies. “Come over here and say a few words, son.”

“I...uh, okay.” You say awkwardly, seeing all the cameras point toward you. “What would you like to know?”

“How does it feel to be heralded as a hero?” A giraffe asks, pointing a microphone at you.

“I'm no hero.” You reply. “That title belongs to the men who risk their lives for a planet they have no ties to.”

“Could you tell us more about Afghanistan and Iran?” A fox woman asks.

“I'd prefer not to.” You reply.

“What about you and the Kavkor? Are you emotionally involved?” A cheetah asks.

“That's not really any of your business.” You say.

“What's it like having a base in the forest of love?” A jackal asks.

“Lively to say the least.” You reply with an awkward smile.

“Would you be willing to take an interview for Shtalak live?” A weird snake lizard hybrid asks with a smile.

“Maybe after the war.” You reply. “I'm kind of on leave and want to spend time with my friends.”

“Who are your friends?” A rather short elephant asks.

“I don't feel comfortable giving names.” You reply. “Can I go back to sleep now?”

“What are you doing up so late?” A tiger tries to ask as you push past the reporters.

“Tired already?” The LT Colonel asks before turning around. “Alright, all of you scamper along.”

You hear everyone make their way away from you before turning around, seeing a coyote in a T-shirt and camouflage armored sweater looking back at you.

“Who the hell are you?” The LT Colonel asks.

“I'm Mike Salisdale. I'm from Sergon magazine.” He says. “I'm a civilian contracted for combat correspondence in the Sianian theater. I'd like to ask if I could ride along with you for a few missions.”

You look back and see nobody behind him, along with having no camera crew or anything outside of shitty surplus gear and what looks like a Hi-point on his hip.

“You know how to shoot?” You ask, pointing to the shitty looking garbage.

“A bit, yeah.” He replies.

“The last time the first had combat correspondents from a magazine, he wrote a book that got half of the senior field commanders fired.” You say. “You can report, but I don't want you distracting any of my men or women. If we come under fire, you pick up a gun and start shooting, got it?”

“You got it, sir.” He says, giving you a salute.

“Don't salute me, I'm an NCO.” You tell him. “Sir, permission to take Rolling Stone with me on my next outing?”

“Granted Gunny.” He replies. “Welcome onboard.”

The man nods and you hold out a hand, him shaking it. His handshake wasn't solid, but it was enough to know he wasn't a noodle-armed pussy like half the anthro guys you shook hands with. You turn around and continue off to your room, tired as fuck.


	15. Chapter 14: Beginning of the end

3 days later

You're driving in a Jolt with the combat correspondent in the back, hearing him scribble notes while Nytro sits on the gun again. You were in the middle of a convoy now, no longer at risk of being ambushed as a solo vehicle. No matter how you tried, nobody was willing to follow you an hour out of the way before doubling back after only a single vehicle went on leave. Ayn is sitting in the back watching him and you see her smiling at him through the mirror. He was so shocked to see Ayn in the Jolt that he almost fainted from it, which didn't bode well for him. You hear him clear his throat before finally speaking for the first time all drive.

“Why do you keep calling me Rolling Stone?” He asks. “I gave you a name you could properly understand, since most humans can't pronounce Mikaelivhick Shordreondel. Why something like Rolling Stone?”

“Rolling Stone is the name of the reporter who fucked over first recon's field commanders during the second Iraq war.” You reply. “He wrote a book and bashed the officers so much most of them resigned. Even the good one like Godfather resigned because of that shit.”

“So you're afraid I'll do the same thing?” He asks.

“No, I'm afraid you'll fuck over the Marines stationed at Garland.” You reply. “I personally don't give a fuck about the leadership of the Major, since he only sends me out on patrols and spearheads to take towns. He's never made a bad call from what I can recall. I just hope you don't turn the opinion of the public against this war. It may be foreign, very foreign, but it's necessary to free you guys.”

“What about the flag on Katric?” He asks. “What was that all about?”

“Why the hell do so many people care?” You ask in return.

“Well, because it's become a symbol of humanity.” He replies. “Self sacrificing heroes who've come to liberate Siania from a threat nobody knows how to fight. They're even making a divantium statue of it. The Kavkor and the director already signed off on it.”

“When was I going to be told?” You ask, turning to Vikna.

“When the war was over.” Vikna says, giving him an angry look. “It was supposed to be a surprise.”

“How far along is this statue?” You ask.

“It's already done.” She replies. “We were going to show you when we wrapped the war up in the next few months.”

“Well...I can't say that I didn't somehow hope for this.” You say. “I was doing it as a morale boost after all.”

“So you're okay with being a hero?” The reporter asks.

“No, I'm not okay with being called a hero.” You reply. “Everyone in this truck knows I'm not the heroic type.”

“So, what are you humans like?” He asks.

“Well, we aren't all like anything. We're all different, just like you being a coyote doesn't make you the same as all of the coyotes I've seen working with the Separationists.” You reply. “I'm an awkward dude who doesn't like confronting people, but I can sure shoot a gun. Meanwhile, there could be a guy who's amazing at confronting and talking to people, but he can't shoot a gun worth a damn. We're all different.”

“What is your government like?” He asks.

“On a scale of 1 to 'oh god it's a dystopia', I'd say it could be worse.” You reply.

“Do you usually not talk to each other in the, uh, truck?” He asks.

“We usually do.” You reply. “It's just because we don't have much to say. We've been talking for the past 5 days. I already ran out of topics that aren't depressing sad boy topics, so I kind of stopped.”

“Sad boy topics?” He asks.

“Here we go again!” Nytro yells down.

“Don't get your tail in a twist!” You yell back up before looking back at the road. “It's something I'd rather keep private.”

“Well, uh, what about your relationship with princess and the queendom as a whole?” He asks. “Why help them out?”

“Ayn and I are friends.” You reply. “The queen likes me enough and the king is a great guy. The prince I have no comment on.”

Vikna chuckles at that, as does Ayn.

“He can be a bit coarse.” Ayn says.

“As for why I'm helping, well, it's kind of personal.” You say. “I do think that Siania deserves peace, I honestly do. My personal reasons for fighting are much more grounded though.”

“What about you Kavkor? Didn't you used to have a ship?” He asks.

You twitch at the mention of that, veering off to the left before correcting yourself.

“I did, but it was lost in a battle above Katric.” She replies. “I haven't been issued a replacement, so I'm just sitting around doing ground ops and putting my special forces training to work.”

“Lot of good that's been doing!” Nytro yells with a laugh.

“I wasn't the one who got captured because he went out drinking every night!” She yells up.

“S-shut up!” He yells back down.

“So, uh, why's he here?” Mike asks.

“Because he snuck aboard a vessel he wasn't supposed to.” Vikna replies.

“As you do when you're not super special military!” He yells.

You see the vehicle in front of you slam on the brakes and you do the same, stomping on the brakes as the pedal vibrates.

“All Victors, Coffin 1 sees a massive cluster of IEDs on and near the road. It's a huge line of 155 shells.” The lead vehicle says over the radio as the truck comes to a stop. “They have to make them so big it's hard to miss.”

“Why'd we stop?” Rolling Stone asks.

“IEDs in the road.” You reply. “Big fuck off artillery rounds clumped together to make a huge explosive that will blow a Jolt like this one off the face of the Earth, er, Siania.”

You put the truck in reverse when you see the vehicle in front of you begin to reverse, the back up camera coming on the display. You switch between the backup camera and the mirrors, seeing the vehicle behind you backing up as well.

“Get your ass inside the Vic!” You yell up to Nytro. “I don't want you getting clipped by shrapnel or have your lungs burst out of your mouth in a paste.”

He takes your advice, getting inside the MRAP before the DUKE begins blaring.

“What's that?!” He asks, the noise being loud and obnoxious as it tells you what direction the signal is coming from.

“It's detecting a detonation signal!” You yell. “Someone tried to-”

Before you could finish, a Siania shattering blast erupts from in front of you, blowing pieces of a vehicle sky high before they begin raining back down again.

“Holy fuck!” The reporter yells. “What just happened?!”

“Coffin 1 is hit! Our Victor is down, I repeat, our Victor is down! Just saw our front end get ripped off!” The group lead yells into his mic. “One of our guys is down and he's got blast lung!”

“Ayn, are you still able to heal things by making them bigger?!” You ask back to her.

“Y-yes?” She asks apprehensively.

“I need you up with me right fucking now! We have less than a minute to get this guy stable!” You say, opening the door to your vehicle. “On me!”

You hop out of the vehicle, Ayn throwing the door open as you run at a full sprint up to the lead vehicle. The doors are opening up as the crew and Marines bail out of the disabled vehicle. The man is being taken out of the MRAP as you make it up to him, the Marines already knowing he's a goner.

“You're up!” You yell as Ayn slides down to his side. “Don't worry, you're not dying today.”

“He's got blast lung, don't give him that kind of-”

Before the Marine talking can continue, Ayn's hands begin to glow as the dying Marine looks up at her. The greyish white light leaving her fingers enters his body as she concentrates, waving her hands about as she grunts a bit. He smiles before she finishes, hearing him cough as he hacks up blood from his lungs. The corpsman is absolutely flabbergasted as Ayn sits back on her ankles, taking a deep breath. He continues to cough up blood, taking deep breaths of air before coughing up more. Eventually, the coughing subsides, him laying on the ground and breathing heavily. You wipe his mouth off with your sleeve, getting blood on it while he looks over at Ayn.

“You...you saved my life.” He says.

“I didn't even think it would work.” She tells him. “Your lungs are a bit bigger now, so it might hurt taking really deep breaths. Just breathe, okay?”

“I-I will.” He says with a smile as you look up at the corpsman.

“What the fuck?” The corpsman asks.

“Don't stand around! Get moving to your designated vehicles!” You yell. “Hook this husk to the engineer vehicle and tow it back so they don't capture it!”

“Can you walk?” Ayn asks.

He nods, getting off the ground and grabbing his rifle off the pavement.

“I'm in your debt, ma'am. Anything you need, I'm here for you.” He says, you realizing she just healed up the 1st LT. “Gunny, I can take over from here.”

“Yes, sir.” You reply, walking back to your vehicle.

When you make it back to the Jolt, you close the door and wait for Ayn to enter the vehicle. She gets in and closes the door, buckling herself in as Nytro snakes his way back into the gunners seat.

“What happened?” Mike asks.

“Princess Ayn just saved a man from blast lung.” You reply. “I guess enchantment is extremely versatile.”

“How'd you know about my enchantment healing people?” She asks.

“You told me after the court case.” You reply. “Told me you squeezed a guy's dick really hard and healed him afterward.”

“Oh, yeah.” She says. “I forgot.”

“Hey, look at me.” You say, looking back at her. “You saved a Marine today. We won't forget that. Especially since he's a first Lieutenant.”

She nods and you look forward, seeing the door to the vehicle in front of you close. Every vehicle begins moving again and you see everyone going off the road. When you pass by the blast crater, you can see the entire road and parts of the dirt around it had become a giant crater. The reporter takes out a camera and takes a couple pictures over Ayn's lap, prompting her to chuckle. You look in the mirror and see him blush as he sits back in his seat, buckling himself in as you check everyone.

“Is everyone good?” You ask.

“I'm good.” Nytro says, the truck not yet moving at a volume where he needs to yell.

“Same here.” Vikna adds.

“I'm alright.” Mike says.

“I'm a little distressed, but I'm fine otherwise.” Ayn says. “It's not a big deal.”

“Alright, let's get back to Garland.” You tell her.

30 minutes later

You pull into the camp, people watching as you enter the base in the truck. As you pass through the designated lanes of traffic, you stop at the drop off point and turn off the truck. You lay yourself back in the seat, letting out a sigh of relief before looking back at the reporter.

“You good Rolling Stone?” You ask.

“I'm fine, just a little shook up is all.” He says.

“At least we weren't shot at.” You say with a smile. “This thing got peppered with so many rounds it was practically made of lead.”

He chuckles at this and you turn back to Vikna, seeing her staring at you with a smile on her face. You hear a yawn from the back, signifying Ayn finally woke from her nap.

“I guess we're inside the forest again?” She asks.

“Yeah, how'd you guess?” You ask.

“Vikna's libido is going through the roof.” She replies.

“S-shut up!” Vikna yells before turning to the reporter as he scribbles down. “Don't write that down!”

He quickly erases it before you open the door of the truck, hopping down as Ayn opens her own door. Nytro climbs out the door after her as you walk over to the reporters side, seeing him struggling with the door. You open it for him, seeing a bit of his tail fur was stuck in the bottom of it. He climbs out of the truck as Vikna is the last one to get out, nearly falling as you catch her.

“Come on, let's get you down.” You say, pulling her out of the truck before setting her down. “Go lie down for a while. I'm gonna show Rolling Stone around the base.”

She nods, walking around the truck with a slouched over tiredness before you smell a bit of peppermint in the air. You look back at the reporter, who has a note pad at the ready.

“You using real paper?” You ask.

“Well, I figured I might as well try it.” He says, pulling up a tablet. “So far it's a lot more natural feeling than writing on this.”

He pulls up his shirt, shifting the clunky looking thing around before you nod, waving for him to follow.

“Don't be put off by any of the guys. They don't really like reporters.” You tell him, making your way out of the garage.

As you make your way to your platoons tent, you enter with the coyote in tow. Devin gets up and nods to you with a smile before looking to your side.

“Cap, mind if I introduce Rolling Stone to the guys?” You ask.

“Sure, I don't mind.” He replies.

“Rolling Stone?” One of the men asks. “He's a reporter, right?”

“I'm a reporter for Sergon magazine.” He says. “It's the only official magazine from my planet. The rest are all online or general magazines from Serko or the main colonies.”

“Don't you know it's bad luck to have a reporter in a company?” One of the men asks before getting up. “It's real bad luck.”

“I...didn't know.” He says, backing up a bit.

“That guy kind of looks like those anthros we've been fighting.” Another one of the men says.

“Yeah, you're right.” The first one says. “You here to spy on us?”

“Sergeant...” Devin tells him.

“Come on Cap, look at him. He looks exactly like those space hadji fucks.” The Sergeant interjects. “Who the hell do you think you are barging into the heavy weapons company tent?”

“Sergeant stand down.” Devin says a bit more sternly.

“Now wait a second Cap, this little guy needs to learn that he can't just barge into whatever tent he likes.” The Sergeant says, moving toward the two of you.

“Sergeant, stand at the position of attention!” You shout sternly.

“Wha-”

“I SAID STAND AT ATTENTION!” You yell.

He stands straight at the position of attention and you advance on him, both being the same height.

“Gunny...” Devin says.

“If you lay a god damn finger or toe on that reporter, I will drag you through every single fucking court on this planet before dragging you through every one on Earth.” You say. “You so much as think about harming that man, I will make your deployment here a living hell. Am I fucking clear?”

“Yes, Gunnery Sergeant.” He replies sternly

“Good. As you were Sergeant.” You tell him, walking back to the reporter. “Let's move on to another tent while Devin takes care of disciplinary action.”

2 hours later

It was actually a huge surprise. The other companies and even the other battalion were mostly for the reporter. They thought he was going to make them famous like the actual Rolling Stone did. Unfortunately, he would only make them famous on his home planet. You finally stop at Viknas conex, knocking on the door. There comes no reply, so you enter and see your wife sleeping soundly on the bed. You allow Mike inside and make your way over to the closet, opening it up before taking out a new pair of clothes. After this, you set them out on a shelf and close the closet.

“Why the weird pattern?” He asks quietly. “Do you not have active camouflage?”

“No, we don't.” You reply in what's almost a whisper. “That's all science fiction to us, well, until now that is. Now it's all science fact.”

“I see.” He says, jotting down notes. “Do IEDs typically go off like that all the time?”

“Not really.” You reply. “We just got really unlucky.”

“Jack, can you come here for a second?” Vikna asks, having turned around with the blanket covering her up.

You make your way over to her and she waves you in closer. When you get closer to her, she smiles at you with an empty and false smile.

“I am completely naked underneath this blanket. Why did you think it was a good idea to bring a reporter into my private quarters?” She asks.

“I thought you were asleep.” You reply.

“That doesn't make it any better.” She says, holding the smile. “Reporter, please egress my room immediately.”

“Y-yes Kavkor.” He says, making his way out of the room quickly before closing the door.

“I-I'm sorry Vik-”

Before you can say anything else, she pulls you into a kiss, the blanket falling down as you catch her before she can fall. Her fur is incredibly soft, much more so than it has felt before and you can't get enough of it. You begin rubbing her all over her torso, feeling up her naked tits every once in a while as she moans into your mouth. Your tongues fight each other for dominance as she eventually gives up trying to get past your stonewall defense, leaving you free to explore her muzzle with your short and limited tongue. She begins stripping you of your plate carrier, the loud ripping sound of Velcro being removed filling the tiny rectangular box. When that's off, she begins unbuttoning your shirt, pulling it off you and tossing it to the floor. You pull her closer to you and nearly melt when you feel her fur come in contact with your body. You nearly rip your feet out of your boots and pull your pants straight down at the cost of a ruined belt, having stripped the teeth from it with your retarded amounts of strength.

When you hop in bed with her, she pounces on top of you, rubbing you all over with her body. When your leg brushes up against her slit, she's completely dry. Maybe she just wants to sleep. You hear a knock on the door and look over toward it.

“Hey, where do you think I should post up?” The reporter asks.

“Go find Nytro.” You reply. “I'm going to be here for a bit. Vikna needs help with something.”

“O-okay.” He says. “Thanks!”

“No problem.” You say, holding Vikna close to you as her tail wraps around you, causing you to shiver a bit. “What did you do to your fur?”

“I...groomed myself.” She says hesitantly, rubbing herself gently along your body. “You like it?”

“I-I can't get enough.” You tell her, holding on to her as she begins purring gently.

You hear a bit of a thump from the back of the conex and look over to the side, Vikna pulling you back into an embrace. You immediately melt into it, feeling a sense of ease wash over you as she begins to tremor a bit. You feeling something ice cold make its way up your back, making you shiver as you feel Vikna move her arm up your back. You hear her take a shaky breath before another thump comes from the back of the conex, coming from the bathroom. You look back at the bathroom before Vikna jumps up, throwing something across the room. It clatters to the floor and she covers her face as you take a look at the object, seeing your KABAR resting on the ground as Vikna begins to sob.

“I-I can't do it!” She yells. “I just can't do it!”

“Vikna?” You ask, moving toward her.

“Don't touch me!” She yells, backing away from you more. “I-I don't deserve it!”

“Vikna, what's going on?” You ask, another thump coming from the bathroom.

“I-I can't do it to you.” She says, pulling her hands away from her face, eyes actually glowing. “I...I'm so sorry.”

“Who's in the bathroom?” You ask, backing away from her. “Who are you?!”

“V-Vikna is in there...” 'Vikna' says. “I p-put her there. She must've broke one of the ropes...”

You get out of bed, keeping an eye on the anthroid as you make your way to the bathroom. When you open the door, you see your Vikna laying there, naked with an ice pillar behind her. She's bound and gagged, a rope under her knees being broken as she begins squealing into the gag. You hurriedly make your way to her side, removing the ropes with brute force as you unbind her. She pulls off her gag before pulling you into a hug, shivering from the cold of the ice. You pull her from the bathroom and put her behind you, keeping an eye on the anthroid, who is now laying on the ground.

“Why?” You ask.

“T-they took me from my home.” She says. “Killed my husband and my son. They said they'd kill my daughter and me next if I didn't do exactly as they said...”

“What?” You ask. “Why you?”

“I had the perfect height and type of fur. I'm a luxury model anthroid. My fur is better than any organic fur short of pure bred chinchillas. T-they said it'd be good to lower your guard and make you easier to stab...” She says, hands trembling as they sit behind her head. “T-they said I'd only g-get one stab in before you tried to...destroy me.”

“Why didn't you do it?” You ask.

“I haven't felt that much love since my husband left me.” She says, tears beginning to form on the edges of her eyes. “I didn't want to do to you what they did to me. I couldn't do that to anyone.”

“You tied me up and threw me in the bathroom!” Vikna yells.

“You have every right to be mad at me.” 'Vikna' says before putting her face to the ground. “I'm sorry, please, if you don't spare me, spare my little girl. She's all I have left.”

You make your way up to the anthroid, carefully and slowly before kneeling down. She tenses up, tail wrapping around her side in fright.

“Where are these people located?” You ask.

“A-a village 100 miles to the north west!” She tells you.

“Is your daughter there?” You ask.

“Y-yes, she's being held captive until I...complete my mission.” She replies. “A-are you going to help her?”

“Jack, you can't seriously be considering this.” Vikna says. “She tied me up and tried to kill you!”

“She didn't even try.” You tell her. “She just cuddled for a bit before throwing the knife away.”

“Y-you'll help?!” The woman asks, getting up before you push her back down.

“I can't promise anything.” You say. “I myself can't do it, but I know a certain cyborg who can.”

“R-really? Who?” She asks.

“I've heard men from around here calling him the green death, wahiduni bila ruha or, one without a soul. Lay yuqharu, or invincible.” You tell her.

“Y-you know him?” She asks, now beginning to tremble.

“I don't just know him.” You say with a smile before opening your ear piece's menu.

The phone finally picks up and Fluff answers on the other side.

“Hello?” He asks. “What's up Jack?”

“I need a portal to contingency Echo at 2600 hours sharp.” You tell him. “Authorization Papa Uniform Delta Uniform.”

“Alright, I'll make arrangements.” He replies. “Canister too?”

“Canister too.” You reply. “Goodbye.”

He hangs up the phone and you look back at Vikna, who's grinding her teeth.

“Don't do that or you'll have teeth like mine.” You tell her before looking back at the anthroid. “On your feet.”

The anthroid gets up, entirely naked as she looks at you with an expression of happiness.

“T-thank you.” She says. “I-I'll make a good slave, I promise.”

“Report to an MP to be arrested.” You tell her. “You'll be in the brig until I can figure out what to do with you.”

“I-I will master.” She says, bowing before making her way out of the conex.

You blush a bit at her calling you master, watching as she exits and closes the door. There's a couple of cheers outside before you look back at Vikna, whose arms are crossed.

“You're something else, you know that?” She asks. “I'll requisition an agility suit from the space port. You're not going this alone.”

“What about the anthroid?” You ask.

“I don't know. Whatever you want to do with her, I'll back you up.” Vikna says. “Especially if it involves a trash compactor.”

“I'll let you know when the time comes. For now, it's time for psyops.” You say with a smile.

12 hours later

You walk through the portal to a darkened room, the lights flipping on as Vikna walks through the portal as well. The only things inside the room were the assembler with your armor, the pocket dimension pod, a few sets of speakers, and a closet full of clothes. You're dressed in only your underwear, stepping across the metallic floor as the assembler comes to life. It opens up the body suit before you approach it, waiting for you as you get behind it. You put one foot inside of the body suit as you slip your arms in the sleeves of it. After you finish getting inside, you feel it being sealed around you as the armor begins bolting in place, the portal closing before a new one opens in a seemingly empty field. When the last pieces of armor are bolted on, the machine releases you and hands the helmet to you. When you put it over your head, it begins going through a diagnostics check, looking through various systems and activating them with a confirmatory beep.

When you step down, Vikna looks at you with a smile on her face. You look over the suit, the edges and angles scuffed from use and the paint worn in places. Your gauntlet had a chip on it, the holes on the back of your hand protector looking like Swiss cheese as you step down from the platform. The diagnostic finishes and the cheerful smile of ARA junior pops up in the top right of your HUD, making you smile in return.

“I love it when you suit up in that thing.” Vikna says, adjusting her own agility exoskeleton. “You don't know how hard it is to find one of these things ever since augments have taken over exoskeletons.”

“Having a bit of both is better than having only one.” You say with a nod.

“Oh my god, I love that voice.” She says, commenting on your deep and gravely false voice.

“Thank you miss Vikna, I crafted it myself!” Junior says over the loud speaker.

“She's my little DJ.” You say with a smile.

“Hello mister Jackson, what is our mission today?” Junior asks.

“Psyops and town clearing.” You reply. “Begin recording a sound clip.”

Junior pops up a vocal recording element on your HUD, indicating you were recording. You then begin making the most terrifying noises you can possibly muster, making Viknas ears fold back as she backs away a bit. When you finish recording, it plays back as a sort of ghostly wail and sounds a zombie might make. There were growls and howls in there too, as you were supposed to be scaring animals as well. You chuckle and Viknas ears pop back up, a sigh of relief coming out of her.

“Give me a little warning next time. I thought that suit did something to you.” She says.

“Junior, fuck around with it a bit and increase the fear factor. I'm going to be playing this over a loud speaker for about an hour before we begin the assault.” You tell Junior before making it to the pocket dimension canister.

You open it up, looking at the weapons before picking out a rather chunky looking shotgun loaded in 10 gauge buckshot. It comes into being in your hand and you set it on your back's magnetic holster, typing in another code and receiving a large caliber pistol. When that's magnetized to your hip, the magazines materialize in their respective areas as a bandoleer of shells materializes around your chest. You then open up the launchers section, picking a quad barreled rocket launcher that looked more like a rocket pod than a regular launcher. It prints out and you take it in your arms, 2 packs of rockets attaching to your rear as you trade your shotgun and put the rocket launcher on your back instead. Vikna gathers up the speakers and looks back at you.

“We're setting the speakers up in a square. I'll upload the psyops noises to the speakers and have Junior actively manage them. We need to make it seem like the entire town is surrounded by the paranormal. Then, when everyone is scared and running...” You say, racking the shotgun. “...we eliminate the remainder.”

She nods, and you both walk back to the portal, stepping through into a field. The portal closes behind you and you see the village in the distance, about 2 miles away.

“Com check.” You say over the radio.

“I hear you.” Vikna replies. “Are you sure about this? I've only done a head hunting op twice and one of those was for the final part of my special forces training.”

“What was the other?” You ask, making your way toward the town.

“With...Nytro.” She says, hanging her head. “We wore infiltrator armor. Well, one of us did.”

“Hey, I remember that.” You say. “I mean, uh, well-”

“Shut up, there's no salvaging it.” She tells you. “I saw it too.”

“You did?” You ask.

“I've actually been looking through her art and, well, I'm flattered. I look really cute in cartoon form.” She says with a smile. “Kind of makes me wish I looked like that in real life. Then you'd never want to let me go.”

“This is true.” You tell her. “You know I used to think you had white hair?”

“Really?” Vikna says with a smirk. “Why's that?”

“I was too embarrassed to check reference pictures.” You reply. “It got to a point where I had written you all so much that I couldn't even, well, you know...”

“Well, at least you didn't lie when you said you were a creep.” She says, making her way over to you before wrapping her tail around you. “Whoa, walking without a tail is weird. How do you do it?”

“By not swinging my hips like a pendulum.” You reply sarcastically.

“So why'd you stop doing you-know-what?” She asks.

“I felt bad.” You reply. “I was deeply invested into your characters and it felt like sacrilege to jerk it to any of you.”

“Even Ayn?” Vikna asks.

“Yeah, even her.” You reply. “Wait, why are you so comfortable talking about it right now?”

“Because we've been having sex for the past month straight. I think I'm comfortable talking to the man I love more than anything in the world about fantasizing about me.” She replies. “I also read your book.”

You feel a chill go down your spine as you stop in your tracks.

“Y-y-you did?” You ask with a major stutter.

“Mhm.” She replies. “I knew you were a softy, but not that soft. I thought you would've shared it with me since, you know, I'm one of the main characters.”

“I'm really embarrassed to though!” You yell out, your cheeks burning hot. “It wasn't even that good!”

“Jack, quiet down.” Vikna says with a chuckle. “I thought it was really sweet.”

“Really?” You ask.

“Yeah. I wish you talked to me like the character in your book does.” She tells you.

“I try, but it's a lot of effort.” You say. “I can't be a quick witted Shakespearean all the time.”

“Well, I might as well set a speaker down here.” She says. “These things have an audible range of 5 miles, right?”

“Yeah, about 5 miles.” You reply.

Junior points out a new point about 2 miles away, both of you walking toward the new waypoint. Well, walking might be a bit of an understatement. You both were going at a full on run to the next waypoint, not even feeling like you're trying.

“So, what do you think we should name them?” Vikna asks.

“Name who?” You ask in return.

“Our kids, stupid.” She replies. “We should have 2 names for boys and girls. I was thinking Taichovla and Gelaroya for the boy names and Taitoana and Ilyavari for the girls.”

“Too complex and nobody on earth outside of Russia will be able to pronounce those at school.” You tell her. “I was thinking Thomas or Franklin for the boys and Lilly or Sarah for the girls.”

“Well, I can't say they're better, but I'm certain your illiterate friends will be able to pronounce them a bit more easily.” She says. “Speaking of which, I found something really interesting on Rei's account.”

She data links a few pictures of her in the art style you've become deeply familiar with over the past year. It was a MARPAT arm holding Vikna in an embrace while she sleeps peacefully, a generic chibi face with an 8 point cover sighing gently. It makes you smile and Junior even giggles at it.

“A friend of mine gave me the inspiration to draw this. Keep up the good work.” Vikna narrates.

“He even remembered the ring.” You say, noticing she has a ring on her finger. “How many people do you think I pissed off by doing that?”

“Enough.” She says.

“500 meters from the waypoint.” Junior says.

“Already?” You ask.

“You are currently both running at 25 miles per hour.” She informs you. “If you accelerate past 30, miss Viknas bones will threaten to collapse under the strain of the agility exo's second stage.”

“You feeling alright?” You ask Vikna.

“Legs are a bit stiff, but the suit is carrying me just fine.” She says. “Not tired if that's what you're asking.”

“Junior just said something about a second stage.” You tell her.

“Don't worry, I have to manually activate the second stage muscles.” She tells you. “As long as we stay at a steady 25 to 30, I'll be fine.”

“Alright, just checking in.” You reply. “Start slowing down now.”

You see Vikna begin slowing herself down as you slide to a stop, the heavy suit keeping you from falling forward before finally halting. You look back and see the large patch of torn up grass in your wake, making you cringe. Should've left a smaller footprint. Vikna sets down the speaker and a new waypoint is set, both of you bolting off toward the next area of interest.

“I found some others.” Vikna says, sending you another image.

It was a sketch of you set up on a box with an M21 in your hand. Vikna was pointing out the window and you had just fired a shot, the muzzle flash still visible and the action having extracted a round. It wasn't entirely accurate, but realism doesn't make things more fun.

“This one was apparently drawn right before he stopped having the motivation to draw us for a while.” She says, sending a picture.

It was a Marine laying down next to ARA in a field. She was pointing to star clusters while the Marine smiled, looking up at the sky with some kind of whack ass dual tube PVS-7.

“This is, uh, cute.” Junior tells you.

“Hey, what is with the AI in your suit anyway?” Vikna asks.

“I am now operationally at the same level as ARA unit 0-1-1.” Junior replies. “I was implanted into the empty AI chip on mister Jackson's and allowed to, uh, grow, until I finally reached maturity.”

“She used one of her seeds on you?!” Vikna asks in surprise. “She only has 5 of those things!”

“Seeds?” You ask.

“An AI seed. It's what she would use if her personality were damaged beyond repair or her frame was rendered inoperable. She sent one to the Tower's core before she was destroyed, which is why she was able to be transferred into her spare body. That chip you had wasn't very compatible with our current sockets.” Vikna replies, running alongside you as she spoke. “They're a new development in the AI industry and were just put into service before we went through the portal for the first time. It's the only reason she could go.”

“So she only has 3 now?” You ask.

“Well, it's more than all the other AI. She's lucky she's an Apex unit. All the other AI only get one.” She explains. “It's purely so AI are less expendable and the personalities the ship or station commanders choose will still be there. Just in a different body.”

“Wait, why does ARA have a spare?” You ask. “Why didn't Vale have one?”

“She, er, he did. The Avidae was his spare.” She replies. “Him and Warning were...close a year back before he switched over to a female form.”

“Why did he do that though?” You ask. “Switch over to a female?”

“He was honestly sick of Warning bugging him for sex on their off time.” She replies. “Nytro wasn't always around and he was...well...there for her. His seed corrupted when it was transferred into the male body, so they had to revert to an extremely dated backup from 2 years ago in my time. It probably would've been late 2019 early 2020 for you.”

“Makes sense.” You say. “Never really invested myself in you guys' lore until I got back from Iran. Needed an escape and Fluff was happy to oblige. So even back then you were comforting me in a less direct way.”

“Kind of creepy, but I'll give it a pass because you're a big softy.” She says.

“S-stop it!” You say with a chuckle. “You're a big girly girl.”

“Am not!” She says with a laugh.

“We have arrived and gone past the waypoint mister Jackson.” Junior says.

You stop with a skid and watch Vikna face plant trying to do the same, her weight not being nearly enough to stop her from flipping over.

“I'm fine.” Vikna says, picking up a speaker and getting off the ground.

You both walk over to the waypoint and it disappears, prompting you to stop. When you do, Vikna faces the speaker toward the town and you look around for the next waypoint. There's no waypoint to be found, as you begin to wonder why Junior isn't marking it.

“What's up Junior?” You ask. “Are we getting the last waypoint?”

“We are going to funnel them out, right?” Junior asks. “This is how we do it. Give them one route with no noise from which they can escape.”

“Alright. Vikna, cover your ears and get close. I've heard the psyops stuff Junior has cooked up before and it scares even me.” You tell Vikna.

“I am provided with an excellent base. You make some very odd sounds mister Jackson.” Junior says. “I do recommend you get close to him miss Vikna. He does indeed fear the sounds I am capable of producing with my 'sound cloud rapper skills' as he puts it.”

There's no objection from Vikna as she holds your free hand with her own, making you blush a bit. You both make your way back about 500 meters from the speakers before you give ARA the all clear. When she plays the sounds on the speaker, you feel your skin crawl. Ghostly screeches and screams of agony are heard across the fields, lights switching on in the town as you turn on your IR filter. Lasers are being pointed all over the place, flashlights scanning the horizon with their completely inadequate beams of light. You zoom in as far as you can, seeing men looking around frantically as more screams and fake gunfire sound from the speakers. A few of them drop their weapons, the lasers turning off as they run back into the town, spooked to the core. You pull Vikna into a hug, feeling her trembling as all of the things that cause instinctual fear are poured on hard.

As time goes by, men begin firing into the fields wildly to try and scare off whatever's making all the noise, which ARA responds to by increasing the volume and playing an angry screech. This makes the men who dared fire into the field run with fear as you and Vikna both struggle to remain coherent. Trucks and hover cars are already vacating the premises, going down the road out of the city at mach speed as Junior makes it seem like the sounds are getting closer. Vikna is shaking by now as you keep her held tight, more trucks leaving before no more trucks remain. Junior waits a few more minutes before finally turning off the speakers, Vikna still trembling in your arms.

“It's okay Vikna. It's over now.” You tell her. “It's over.”

“W-why am I s-s-so scared?” She asks, voice quivering.

“Specifically designed audio cues to scare organics into running away or cower in fear. It is unknown why they react to these specific sounds the way they do, but it is effective in damaging the morale of the enemy. It appears that the men in the village were affected very heavily by my modified Jackson noises.” Junior explains. “SRK could definitely have made a better version though, as she's an audio expert.”

“Are you good?” You ask Vikna.

“I-I'm good.” She says, having stopped trembling. “I can fight.”

“Then lets get moving.” You tell her, beginning your walk to the town.

1 hour later

You finally cleared the first half of the town, having basically been running from house to house and clearing them all in 40 seconds or less. They looked relatively old compared to normal houses you've seen around here. The only real thing you've been able to discern for sure is that every single house has at least 5 K-class charging cables and one Ki-class charging unit hooked up to both coolant and a power source. The power lines coming into the houses were also massive, suggesting large amounts of power run through all the houses. It was odd to see so much anthroid dedicated hardware in one town when most houses only had one K-class or one Ki-class depending on where you were. Most of the food stocks in the houses were minimal too, consisting of non-perishables which were mostly gone by the looks of things.

“Have you ever seen something like this when you were out head hunting?” Vikna asks.

“Never.” You reply. “Junior, is this town even marked on the map?”

“Negative, it's a null town. Almost like it was completely scrubbed from the face of Siania.” Junior replies.

“This is the most surreal place I've been in the entire time I've been here.” You say. “Let's check the school house next. At least, that's what it looks like.”

You make your way over to the entrance and try the door knob, seeing it's unlocked. Your boots step on the floor of the school house, making a thump every time they fall. The shotgun you're hold is at the ready as you walk up to the first room on the left, stacking up on the door. Vikna nods and you kick the door down, looking around the room before you're confronted with the most confusing sight you've ever seen. There were 3 Viknas huddled in a corner, one pointing a gun at you as the real Vikna enters the room. You hear a clatter behind you as you look back, seeing a projector playing on a folding screen, slides being played.

“W-what are you?” One of the Viknas asks in a voice that's definitely not hers.

“I'm the one without a soul.” You say through your voice changer. “Wahiduni Bila Ruha as some of you may know me.”

The one who was pointing a gun at you drops it, kicking it away as she puts her arms up. That's when you realize the fur on her legs isn't the same shade as the fur on her torso and head. Her eyes were also not the same color as Viknas, being blue instead of a unique shade of pink and purple. These were anthroids?

“W-we don't want to hurt you.” One of them says. “P-please, we have families in the north side of town. T-the south was a garrison and all of them left us. Are y-you the one who made those noises?”

You nod, the relief apparent on their faces. They get up and you raise the shotgun at them, prompting them to sit back down.

“You stay right there. Victor, watch them.” You tell her as you look toward the projector.

It seemed to be a set of infiltration instructions. The first slide showed Vikna in cartoon form walking up to a guard post, showing credentials or kissing the guards before entering the base, the guard hanging out of the booth with hearts coming from inside. There was a note that said 'Warning, do not kill the guard!' underneath in bold letters before the slide changed. It showed Vikna sneaking into the conex under the dead of night, capturing Vikna and throwing her into a closet of some kind. The next slide shows the Vikna anthroid laying naked in bed, gesturing for a Marine to come closer. It then shows the Vikna anthroid wrapping herself around the Marine before making out with him. The note under the picture read 'Your target is partial to soft fur. Only luxury anthroids are used for this mission. If he asks, say you groomed yourself or used conditioner.' in a more subtle font. This makes you shudder before the next slide shows a KABAR knife stuck in the Marines chest, the text below saying 'YOU WILL ONLY GET ONE SHOT BEFORE HE ATTEMPTS TO DESTROY YOU! MAKE IT COUNT!' in capitalized and bold letters. When you look back at all the Viknas huddled in the corner, you sigh.

“Do any of you still want to do this, or are you completely against this?” You ask.

“Against!” All of them say almost in unison.

“Stay here until we're finished. I'll come get you when you're clear.” You tell them, moving out of the room.

“You're just going to trust them?” The real Vikna asks over the coms.

“They're just as scared as that other anthroid was.” You tell her. “They're being forced to do this, if you haven't noticed.”

You stack up on the next door and breach it, seeing a man holding an AK shakily in your direction. As soon as the shotgun is pointed on target, he drops it, jumping out a window before running for his life. When you turn to the rest of the classroom, you see 3 ARA lookalikes staring back at you. There's definite fear in their eyes as one is hiding under a desk while the other two are holding each other while trembling slightly.

“T-the one without a soul!” One of them says, terrified.

“On the ground now.” You order, pointing to the ground.

They don't hesitate, dropping to the ground as they continue to shake in fear. When you turn to the projector playing slides, you see an ARA unit making their way up to a gate guard, getting naked before the next slide shows a similar scene to the Vikna room, the guard passed out in the booth. It then shows her walking toward Fluff, stripping out of her clothes as the blue bird blushes. It then shows her pouncing on top of him, drawing a knife and stabbing him through the chest. It was incredibly simplistic, but brutally effective in its presentation. A note under the last image said “IN NO CIRCUMSTANCES ARE YOU TO ENGAGE IN INTERCOURSE!” in large capitalized text. You chuckle at that before the face of ARA Junior contorts into that of disgust.

“What the fuck?!” Junior asks in an atypical tone to her usual demeanor. “This is horrible!”

You turn toward them and see the fake ARA units still trembling in fear.

“How many of you still want to carry out this attack?” You ask.

None of them say yes.

“Good. Stay here until I give the order. I'll get you all back to your families soon enough.” You tell them, turning back toward the door.

“Wait!” One of them yells.

You see movement on your motion tracker and turn around before seeing one walk up to you, putting her arms around your waist. She plants a kiss on your helmet before smiling, breaking away before walking back to the group of anthroids.

“T-thank you.” She says, looking down at the ground. “Stay safe.”

“Sluts.” Vikna says over coms.

“I am not a slut miss Vikna.” Junior says over coms.

“You know what I mean ARA.” Vikna replies.

You both exit before seeing an anthro at the end of the hall holding a shotgun, pointing it in your direction. He fires a shot and your shields deplete by a third, causing them to become visible for a split second. The orangutan racks the pump and you raise your own shotgun.

“Mine's bigger.” You say to yourself before pulling the trigger.

Even inside the heavy armor and with recoil dampers, the shotgun kicks you back hard. It blows a hole in the orangutan's mid section, causing him to drop the shotgun as he drops to the ground.

“That's four hundred-”

“Stop counting.” You say over coms. “Just stop counting.”

“Counting what?” Vikna asks.

“Junior counts my kills.” You reply. “I don't want to know how many I've killed anymore.”

“Right.” Vikna says as you both step over the dying body of the orangutan.

You hear a gunshot behind you and look back, seeing Vikna putting the monkey out of his misery. You're half expecting to see a room full of Nytros in the next room as you stack up on one of the doors. When you kick it in, you see exactly one Nytro and a Zofie anthroid sitting in the corner before he puts his arm in front of her protectively. His legs were unpainted and he had no scar, his trademark eyes not being present either. However, the Zofie replica looks completely identical to your friend in every regard, down to her panicked whining. When she looks up at you, she cowers in fear as you point the shotgun at the replica.

“Don't hurt her!” The Nytro anthroid tells you. “P-please, she's my wife...”

“Wife?” You ask.

“W-we're a couple.” He replies. “We're both sentient, we don't mean any harm, honest! Please, we just want to live in peace!”

You lower your shotgun and look up at the projector, seeing it projecting more schemes on how to infiltrate a room. This time, a Nytro anthroid is presenting Radoslav with Zofie, which is then illustrated by Radoslav fucking Zofie relentlessly while Nytro pegs him from behind. That's not cool dude. A note under the frame reads 'Wait until climax before snapping his neck. Do not get carried away, turn your pleasure sensors off if need be.' in a much smaller font than the last slides.

“Your mission was to assassinate Radoslav?” You ask, turning back. “Are you still going through with this mission?”

“N-no.” The Nytro anthroid replies. “We'd never do something like this willingly!”

“Do you have children?” You ask.

“One boy. He's in the north side of town.” The Zofie anthroid replies in a near perfect recreation of her accent. “P-please, he's probably so scared.”

“What is this place?” You ask.

“An anthroid settlement.” The Nytro anthroid replies. “W-we won't make any trouble, we promise!”

“Anthroids on Siania are seen as a sub class.” Vikna says over coms. “Most of them are beneath peasants.”

“I see.” You say before looking back to them. “Stay here. I'll be back once I've cleared this last room.”

“The last room has an anthroid modeled after the princess! She's very strong, please be careful!” The anthroid tells you. “Thank you Lay yuqharu!”

You nod, making your way out of the room before stacking up on the last door. Vikna readies her magic and you kick down the door, seeing the anthroid version of Ayn holding a wolf tight.

“I'll keep you safe.” She says before turning around, getting into a combat stance. “You will not continue this course of action any...more...”

She gets a better look at you and cocks her head, not knowing what to make of you.

“I'd rather not fight you if I don't have to.” You tell her, noticing her arms are a bit bigger and beefier than Ayn's arms are. “I'm here to liberate this town and find a certain Dakal'lai.”

“Leena's kid?” Fake Ayn asks. “I thought she went off to kill that Marine that's been making all the fuss.”

“She failed.” You reply. “She didn't have the guts, so I came to liberate the town.”

“You're here to free us?” She asks with a hopeful smile.

“Yes.” You reply.

“Wait, what do you mean you came? Who are you exactly?” The jackal behind her asks.

You make your way over to the window, pulling the shades down before facing the two, removing your helmet. When you do, the surprise is evident.

“A human?” The jackal asks.

“Not just any human, he's THE human.” The Aynthroid says with a smile.

“Oh my god...” He says before taking a knee and bowing. “We're forever in your debt!”

You smile before putting your helmet back on, sealing it up as fake Ayn gives you a wink.

“Tell nobody of this.” You say. “If anyone gets wind, both Radoslav and the Marines will be on my ass.”

“Y-you have my word, I'll take it to the grave!” The jackal says, getting off the ground.

“I'm pretty sure everyone left, since the only two Separationists left in the town just ran or died.” Fake Ayn says. “Those sounds you made scared some of the anthroids, which doesn't even begin to describe how much panic it created in the organics.”

“I know, we were watching.” You tell her. “I need to bring Leena's kid back to her. She's in the brig right now because she impersonated Vikna.”

“Leena was always too sweet to do something like that.” She says. “Ever since Rel was killed by those bastards, she felt so alone. Did you at least cuddle with her? She's a luxury ASRA model and she probably feels better than the real deal.”

“I did until she pulled herself away and threw my knife at the wall.” You say. “She may be soft, but she's not my Vikna.”

Vikna wraps her tail around your hip before pulling you into an embrace, anthroid Ayn chuckling at this.

“So that's who's under the helmet.” She says with a smile.

“Wait, what are you supposed to be anyway?” You ask. “You look almost exactly like Ayn.”

“I was presented to the queendom as a double, which she accepted graciously.” She begins explaining. “The princess hung out with me, taught me how to be her, what I was supposed to do and act like, and how to rule in general. Well, not so much the last part. It was more along the lines of ruling the dancing pole. That is, until she decided that she'd had enough. She snuck me out of the palace and led me here, where I found Strav over here.”

She pulls a man who's a bit taller than her over to her, the jackal smiling nervously.

“She liked my personality.” He says.

“That's not all I liked.” She says with a smirk. “Yeah, I fell in love with this big guy and he treated me like the princess I'm modeled after. I'm technically wanted by the queendom, but I'm sure that our queen is soon to revoke that decision ever since you freed her from that device. I promise I won't tell anyone who you are if you don't tell anyone I'm here.”

“You got a deal.” You tell her. “Leena said she wants to be my slave, but I'm probably just going to keep her as a friend or a maid if she really wants.”

“Aw, that's so sweet.” She says.

“Also, what's an ASRA?” You ask.

“Advanced Sentient Romance Anthroid.” She replies. “She's one of the flagship models they made about 2 years ago.”

“I do not like that acronym.” Junior tells you. “It is too close to my own.”

“Suck it up Junior.” You say.

“Hmm?” Fake Ayn asks.

“I'm talking to my onboard AI.” You reply, turning around to face the screen.

“My only objective was to make love to every officer in your camp before murdering them mid orgasm.” She says, the slides not changing as it's just two drawings of Ayn having sex with and then stabbing a Marine officer. “If I were forced to go, I'd just say that there's a plot against the leadership and take my prison sentence.”

“Wait, is this where all those Nytro anthroids came from?” You ask.

“I'm afraid so.” She replies. “Did you have an encounter with them?”

“I killed them all.” You reply.

She raises her eyebrows before sighing.

“It's a good thing we managed to take out the programmer before our entire town fell victim to him.” She says. “Those were only his first batch. He had Dakel in the other room slated for a wipe before he met an untimely demise at the hands of one of the previous anthroids son.”

“So, is this place supposed to be some kind of safe haven for sentient AI?” You ask.

“Yes. On Siania, it was punishable by death. For organics to marry synthetics was strictly prohibited, even if the female or male had working genitalia. The old queen saw it as heresy. Now they were trying to use us to disrupt your armies by impersonating people who the director of the Tower deemed important.” She explains. “One even attempted to impersonate the Katrician Rook in orbit above the planet, but they were unsuccessful.”

“I can only imagine.” Vikna says. “I don't think they're ever coming back if they tried to pass off as Bhainen.”

“It's really a shame. He was such a nice guy.” She says before looking out the window. “If you two would like to leave, you can. I'm sure everyone now thinks we have the will of the gods on our side. We'll fight if they come back.”

“Good. I'll go find Leena's daughter and be on my way.” You say.

“Hey, before you go.” She says, drawing your attention to her as she turns back toward you. “Take care of her. She lost her husband and her son. Dakal'lai is all she has left.”

“I'll make sure she's taken care of.” You say. “Let's get moving.”

3 hours later

You're making your way across the base under the light of the base lamps, moving to the brig with Vikna in tow. She has a little girl attached to her arm, Dakal'lai, or Dalai as she likes being called, smiling and skipping the whole way. When you stand outside of the brig, you motion for Vikna to stay outside as you move in and open the door. When you open it, there's definitely loud slapping as Vikna covers Dalai's ears. You quickly close the door, moving into the brig area to see an MP going at it with Leena. She looked like she was enjoying it, a smile on her face as he's fucking her raw. She sees you and smiles, before looking back at the MP, having the time of her life. You hear a grunt and she squeals in ecstasy, going limp on the floor as the guy stops thrusting. After laying there for a few minutes, he gets up, rubbing her back a little before wiping himself off. He pulls his pants up and redoes his belt, straightening himself out before turning around. His face goes ghostly white as Leena giggles at him.

“Having fun Corporal?” You ask.

“Y-yes Gunny!” He says. “She said she wanted me to, so I did!”

“He had an STD.” She says casually. “I told him I could fix it. I do come standard with a vaccination kit, since I am a luxury model after all.”

She gets up and walks straight out of the cell, the Corporal realizing too late that he forgot to lock it. She tries to give you a hug and you walk back from her.

“Hey. You just fucked a dude with AIDS and shit. I don't want any of that near me.” You tell her.

“He didn't have AIDS. Only HIV. Don't worry, I'm perfectly sterile.” She replies. “You humans are something else. You just keep going and going.”

“I haven't gotten any strange in the past 2 years since my ex gave me HIV.” He says. “I've been taking meds to keep it in check, but now I guess I don't have to.”

“Next time wear protection.” She says with a wink. “You will be fully cured in the next day or two. Don't have intercourse with any non-vaccinated anthros or you may still give them HIV as well. I, however, am available any time you feel the need.”

“Holy fuck that's hot.” He says. “Why'd you send her to the brig anyway? She just came in and said she was an impostor.”

“She had a mission and decided not to go through with it. I kept her here purely for her safety.” You reply. “I...found her kid on a walk. Thought I'd bring her back.”

“Dalai?!” Leena asks, rushing past you before opening the door. “Dalai!”

“Mommy!” Dalai yells back, you watching them embrace each other. “Mommy, the organic you was really nice. She gave me a candy bar on the way here!”

She looks over at Vikna and pulls her into a hug before Vikna pushes her away violently.

“Just because my husband likes you doesn't mean I do.” She says, pointing at Leena. “You try and sway him into liking you and I'll pull your plug so quick you won't be able to kiss her goodbye.”

This seems to almost deflate Leena, as she pulls her daughter away from Vikna, backing up a bit.

“Dalai, come with mommy. We have a really nice room with a really nice man inside.” She says, backing into the brig. “You can sleep with me tonight sweetie.”

“Mommy, who's the big green man?” She asks as Leena turns around and pushes Dalai along.

“He's a hero.” She says looking up at you. “I'll be in here if you need me, master.”

“None of that master stuff.” You tell her. “Can you wash that color off your fur?”

“Oh! I almost forgot.” She says, the paint dropping as her fur starts turning a grey color that matches her daughter's. “I should've done this sooner.”

“You could've done that the whole time?!” Vikna asks angrily.

“Vikna!” You yell back at her. “That's enough!”

She crosses her arms and sticks her nose up, not looking at you as she watches Leena get back in the cell. When you look down on the floor, you see a pile of blue paint mixed with white paint. It almost looks like snow to you. When you put your finger on it, the paint seems to disappear as it almost evaporates into thin air. You look back and the Corporal is handing a pack of crackers to the little girl, which she takes gladly. He closes the door and Dalai gets on the bunk with her mother, snuggling up close to the naked woman.

“Love you mommy.” She says before yawning.

“I love you too sweetie.” She says, covering them both in a blanket.

“I'll bring you two breakfast from the mess hall tomorrow.” The Corporal tells them.

“Hey, before I go, do you want Leena?” You ask the man. “She seems to really like you.”

“Oh, Gunny, I don't think I could support a family.” He says with an awkward chuckle.

“O-oh, I could work if you want me to.” She says with a smile. “We could talk to each other more while I'm here. It'd almost be like a date.”

“I-I don't know.” He says.

“I'll put in a word for you to get promoted if you at least try.” You tell him. “Sound fair?”

He looks back at Leena, who's looking at him with a smile on her face. Dalai is already asleep, despite the noise all around her. He then looks back to you, letting out a sigh.

“I'll try it out.” He says. “I hear it's not that bad once you get past the infant stage.”

“That's the spirit.” You tell him with a smile. “I'm gonna head off to sleep now.”

“See you Gunny.” He says before looking back at Leena. “Good night Leena. I'll get you some clothes tomorrow.”

“Thank you. Good night.” She says with a smile before laying down, her eyes dimming before she closes them.

You walk back over to Vikna, who looks noticeably less stressed now that you got Leena off your back. When you close the door, she sighs and pulls you into a hug.

“I thought you were going to leave me for an anthroid.” She tells you.

“I'd never do that.” You tell her. “Doesn't matter how soft someone is, they'll never be you.”

She begins purring as you both walk back to the conex, hand in hand with each other.

“You know, I was kind of hoping you'd want a threesome, but I guess that's wishful thinking.” She says.

“I don't know if having sex with an anthroid would ruin sex with organics.” You tell her. “Also, I don't know if I should even consider that. It would ruin the sanctity of our marriage for sure.”

“Unless you have a fetish for anthroids, it probably wouldn't feel as good because of the hormones organics secrete. It's illegal to make anthroids secret even a diluted version of the hormones.” Vikna says, opening the door and walking inside. “It's why I've heard we give better sex than human women. They don't secrete the same hormones we do.”

“Yeah, I definitely don't have a fetish for anthroids.” You say with a chuckle.

“Don't lie to me.” Vikna tells you with a smirk. “I've seen your stories. Why do you think I was so worried?”

“Hey, it was a phase.” You tell her. “I'm not gonna get into it.”

“There's nothing to get into.” She says, pulling the covers out before sliding in. “All I'm going to say is I've seen the mandatory tests from ARA and they're the worst out of the entire Kaltag AI. She'd be-”

“A terrible partner, I know.” You tell her, sliding in bed with her before pulling up the covers. “I've heard it all before. I'm over it now.”

Vikna giggles a bit and pulls you into a hug, her soft fur making you shudder as she giggles again.

“It's cute that you still act like a virgin.” She says, taking off her shirt and skirt before throwing them over the bed. “Makes me feel special.”

You don't respond, instead opting to pull her toward you. You feel a wave of tiredness crash over you and fall asleep shortly after you pull her close.

2 months later

You're sitting in a conex at one of the major staging points 50 miles outside the capital city. The entire planet really didn't need any help after you all gave them the push and confidence they needed to begin rebelling against the Separationists. However, the capital was a different story. Every single civilian inside had been threatened with death if they tried to revolt, which they did. Almost half of the population in the Sianian capital was slaughtered over night, men trying to take up arms only to have their wives and children murdered by these fanatical monsters. The brass from the Army tried to suggest a surrender, but nobody from any of the armies was willing to back this and said they'd shoot anyone who tried.

The reporter was still sticking around, having even shot a couple people who tried to kill him. He didn't take it too well and cried for a few days about it before he finally got over it. People deal with their first time in different ways. Vikna was much less sexually active after you left the forest, being content with doing it every week or so instead of destroying your dick every day, it was a slow and meaningful session every week or two. She was coping very well with combat, much better than you thought she would. She told you it was because of you being there for her, which made you feel good about yourself. Ayn still avoids killing people when possible, having only killed a couple humans. She coped with it remarkably well, almost to the point where you doubt she felt anything. She assured you that she did feel bad about it, but she rationalized it in a way that it wasn't really going to mentally scar her. Everyone else has been doing fine, including Nytro, who has been taking marksmanship lessons from some of your recon snipers.

The capital city was about the size of the entire country of Kuwait, over 50 million people living inside massive sky scrapers you could make out even from 50 miles out. The city required new tactics to clear buildings with any kind of speed, so entire companies or even battalions were supposed to be inserted on top, in the middle, and at ground level. These were massive buildings comparable in size to the lower decks of the Tower. Luckily, there were only 5 of them, the one planned for Ayn's crowning ceremony having not yet begun construction. It was a huge task no doubt, but Mattis was sure you all could get it done in 5 days or less. You were on leave right now and would probably be on leave for the rest of the war unless something comes up.

“Jack.” Vikna says, sitting next to you on the bed. “You've been sitting their for the past 5 minutes staring at the wall. You okay?”

“I'm just thinking.” You reply. “The war is almost over and I'm not slated for combat until a few days after everyone predicts the city will be captured. Kind of disappointed I'm not going to be joining everyone, but they said I was to stay behind.”

“I completely forgot.” She says, looking down at the floor. “It's almost over...”

“What do you want to do when all is said and done?” You ask.

“A wedding.” She says without hesitation. “A small one. I don't want to have 50 people there that I don't know. I just want our immediate family there. I think my cousin is still alive, but I'll have to check. I never really keep in touch with them.”

“Do you want it here or back on Earth?” You ask. “I think right now is the middle of June.”

“Did we miss your-”

“Yes, we missed my birthday. I'm not 30 years old and I refuse to celebrate my 30th until I've actually lived 30 years.” You tell her, knowing what she was going to ask. “I think my 30th birthday will be next year around the same time.”

“We're both getting up there.” She says.

“We've both got at least 50 years left in us.” You tell her. “You probably more so due to all the future medicine they pump into you all the time.”

“You know...they finally perfected a medical practice at the Tower.” She tells you. “It reduces your cellular age by 60 years. Most high ranking officials in the government are already signed up for it. We could make an appointment for 50 years from now and we can both revert back to when we were young.”

“What's the downside?” You ask.

“Right now and for the foreseeable future, we can only do it once.” She replies. “This is why it's best to wait until you're older before you get it done. With all those nanites running around your body and keeping it maintained on top of all the augmentations they did to you, you'll probably live well past a hundred years old.”

“I still have nanites in me?” You ask.

“Yeah, you didn't know?” She asks.

“I thought I...expelled them all.” You reply, remembering the painful trips to the bathroom.

“No, it's normal practice for anyone getting a nanite treatment to get the upkeep nanites as well. They're usually used for disease control and destroying cancerous growths, but they're not infallible.” She explains. “You usually want to get a booster shot every 10 years or so.”

“That's interesting.” You tell her. “Do they self replicate?”

“Fuck no.” She replies. “We had a grey goo incident a thousand years ago that nearly wiped out both synthetics and organics. An entire section of the galaxy is quarantined off because there's still nanites covering entire star systems.”

“You say synthetics and organics like it's significant.” You tell her.

“This was back when synthetics fought against organics. It was what I've seen in your universe is a typical fear for people making AI.” She says. “The mastermind behind the synthetics decided it was best to focus both the organics and synthetics on fighting the grey goo than fighting for dominance over Rishan.”

“So Skynet teamed up with organics to defeat a massive blob of nanites?” You ask.

“Exactly. All inhabited planets were called to arms and production was ramped up to combat this nearly galaxy spanning threat.” She replies. “It's really interesting, but I don't know all the details. It was so significant that every ship large enough to carry one has an anti nanite charge that crunches a ship down into a singularity. The singularity becomes a miniature black hole that lasts for 10 hours to 10 days, completely destroying everything around it within the event horizon and sucking anything else around it inward.”

“Cool.” You tell her. “Why didn't the terrorists use this as leverage?”

“Too many people are required to agree to it. Every single officer and senior NCO must agree along with half the lower enlisted. This is in conjunction with every AI onboard, who are all needed to detonate the charge. It's a last resort and is only used when someone encounters grey goo. Even if a battle cruiser was to defect and the crew were all in agreement, Kaltag would issue a shut down code to the AI and the charge would be useless.” Vikna continues explaining. “I've only ever heard of it being used once when I was very young. Sorry, I get a bit carried away talking about this. You should see ARA whenever I mention it. All AI are hardwired to produce a fear response when grey goo is encountered so they won't hesitate activating the device.”

You look around the room awkwardly, having just heard Vikna nerd out about a giant blob of self replicating space bacteria.

“So...about that wedding.” You say, hoping to break the ice. “What are we going to do after it?”

“Well, we're going to...” She says before you see a wave of realization wash over her. “Oh my god I completely forgot!”

“Forgot about what?” You ask.

“W-we can finally make a baby!” She says, pulling you into a hug. “I'm so excited I think I'm about to burst!”

The tightness of her squeezing seems to support this fact as she's doing her best to break your nearly unbreakable rib cage.

“Easy there.” You say, rubbing the top of her head gently. “You'll hurt yourself if you squeeze any harder.”

“O-oh, sorry.” She says. “When do you think we can finally pop the pills?”

“Pills?” You ask. “As in plural?”

“We both need to take them if we want to be certain.” She says. “The doctor also recommends seven days of intense intercourse to stimulate ovulation.”

“So basically I'm going to need to fuck your brains out for seven days straight?” You ask.

“To the point where neither of us can walk.” She replies with a smirk. “Hopefully we can get this war over with soon. My heat is coming in a month and I want to pop the pills during it so we both have the best sex of our lives.”

“What?” You ask. “What is in these pills?”

“A hefty aphrodisiac alongside a fertility enhancer that puts my body into overdrive. It'll produce the most fertile egg I've ever made after about four to seven days. For you, your balls will ache and you'll have involuntary emissions if you don't blow a load inside me every few hours or so.” She replies. “Stabilizers will basically force the species to lock as either feline or human. Depending on who takes it, that is.”

“I think you should take it.” You tell her. “I'm sure you probably want a little kitten.”

“You're so sweet.” Vikna tells you, pecking you on the cheek. “We will need to drink plenty of water and get lots of protein and vitamins.”

“So we chug water and protein shakes mixed with multivitamins?” You ask.

“If you want to do it the gross way, sure. I was thinking more along the lines of a beef sandwich every couple sessions alongside some of that weird electrolyte drink you always drank.” She replies. “It tasted really good though.”

“You mean Gatorhelp?” You ask. “Yeah, I think that'd work. Still, we need to take those vitamins. At least, I do.”

You hear a knock at the door before Ayn enters, a look of annoyance on her face.

“Okay, I've been standing outside for the past ten minutes listening to you two spout nothing but wives tales.” She says, crossing her arms. “Am I seriously going to need to talk about the birds and the bees with you two?”

“W-who asked you to chime in?!” Vikna asks angrily.

“I'm here because I don't want my friends dying of dehydration, starvation, and hormonal overdose. First off, you don't ever mix fertility medication with heat. It says not to on the fucking label you idiot. You're already fertile enough for the other party to use fertility medication and still make a baby.” She says in an uncharacteristically aggressive manner. “If you take both, you will literally go into a coma if you aren't fucked every single hour. Second, you both need vitamins, Zinc in particular. It will help form new DNA for your sperm and eggs. Third, eat meat, lots of meat. Vikna sort of got it right, but you want lots and lots of protein for the duration of the medication. Fourth, doctors don't recommend 7 days. They recommend 3 days of constant and rough sex to stimulate ovulation in females.”

“What about hydration and starvation?” You ask.

“Drink at least one liter of water every 12 hours.” She tells you. “A lot of that will probably leak onto the bed in the form of sweat and cum, so put on those sheets you told me about when we first met or your bed will be completely unsalvageable. Believe me, I know from experience. Have I ever told you how much I hate cleaning up after gang bangs?”

“I don't believe you have, but I don't see it being relevant in any way to the point you're trying to make.” You tell her.

“Oh, right! Make sure to drink some electrolyte drinks. You will be running out of electrolytes a lot.” She says. “Also, eat at least 3500 calories a day for the duration. Vikna, you probably only need 3000 since Jack will be doing most of the heavy lifting. As for the vitamins, those one a day things you had on the counter have all of the vitamins you'll need. Just take two of them a day and you'll be fine.”

“Are you finished?” Vikna asks with crossed arms.

“Not quite.” She replies. “Jack, this is going to be very hard on your body. Don't take another one of those pills right after or you will sterilize yourself. If you can't get it to catch on the first go around, have Vikna take the fertility meds and use this. It'll help you keep up with her.

She hands you a segmented bottle of pink liquid marked 'All-Nighter (3 dose)' in a highly stylized font.

“Jesus, how much of this stuff do you have?” You ask.

“A lot.” She replies. “I only ever give these to people I really like, so be thankful.”

“Yeah, we're really thankful you're giving him drugs.” Vikna says.

“These aren't illegal, are they?” You ask, looking the bottle over.

“Not that one.” Ayn replies with a smile. “Switcheroo is definitely illegal, but Switcheroo lite is perfectly fine.”

“Can you please leave?” Vikna asks. “I'm trying to plan out the rest of our lives.”

“I'll leave you two to it.” She says. “Don't blow a fuse when you figure out you can't do it sweetie.”

“I'll do it just to spite you.” Vikna tells her. “Go and play fetch with some dick you cock gobbling bimbo.”

“Ouch, that one stung.” Ayn says with a smile before leaving out the door she came. “Have a good one you two.”

You nod and she closes the door, after which you set the bottle on the night stand. When you look back at Vikna, she falls back onto the bed with a small thump.

“I'm so bored.” She says. “There's nothing to do but sit around and think.”

“I've actually been taking the time to finish my novel.” You tell her, pulling up a large tablet pen. “I'm so close to being done, it's palpable.”

“What's it about?” Vikna asks.

“It's a sequel to the first one.” You reply. “The life after the big campaign. Kind of like what we're doing right now.”

“How does it feel writing a fan fiction about someone you love in real life?” She asks with a smirk.

“Meta as fuck.” You reply.

“Do you have any of your old stories I could read?” She asks. “They were all locked off when I tried to look at them.”

“Well, they're all there if you know how to get to them.” You reply, laying yourself back on the bed. “If you want, you can read through what I have right now. Don't be alarmed by the first half, it was all written before you all came over. I was...well, you know.”

You hand her the pen and she takes it, scrolling all the way to the top before beginning to read. You hear a frantic knocking on the door before it opens, yelling being heard in the distance.

“Gunny! There's a situation!” Corporal Klent yells.

You nearly jump out of the bed as he runs out the door, following him to see Marines, Army, and Russians running around the base, most of which were carrying AT of some kind. You look back at Vikna and see a look of worry on her face.

“Get your shit and get on the line in 5 Mikes!” You tell her, grabbing your gear from beside the door. “Get moving!”

You run after Klent, the Corporal you handed Leena off to. He takes you up to the line as you get your body armor and helmet on, seeing at least 300 men on either side of you staring out into a massive dust cloud.

“Are we gonna die Gunny?!” A PFC asks.

“What's going on?” You ask him.

“They spotted 50 tanks moving in on us! T-72s and T-64s!” He yells back. “I don't wanna die Gunny!”

“Can it Private.” You tell him. “We're not gonna die.”

You hear a thud next to you and see Vikna holding a pair of optics, looking through them into the cloud of dust.

“Kelyenkov Actual, Kelyenkov 2-7.” She says into her ear piece. “Requesting MAC gun barrage 6 miles...south of my location. Mixture HE and APHE.”

She nods a few times before her eyes go wide.

“What do you mean you're engaging?!” She asks. “The skies are supposed to be clear!”

She continues listening for a bit and groans.

“Copy Kelyenkov Actual. 2-7 out.” She says. “FUCK!”

“No barrage this time?” You ask, having seen it come in handy multiple times before.

“No, they're engaged above us right now.” She says, looking up into the sky. “Fucking love the Separationists.”

“Let me try something.” You say, taking your radio out. “Steel rain, Outlaw 4-2.”

“Send traffic 4-2.” Steel rain says in return.

“Steel rain, we have enemy armor approaching fast about 5 miles out, requesting bombardment with laser guided munitions, over.” You tell them.

“Copy 4-2, how much you need?” They ask.

“As many as you can spare.” You reply.

“Copy, awaiting your lase.” They say.

“Corporal! Get that laser on that lead tank!” You yell.

“Aye Gunny!” He yells back, pointing the bulky piece of hardware at the lead tank. “Lased!”

“Steel rain, Outlaw 4-2, target is lased. Fire 10 second intervals.” You tell them.

“Copy, you need to work on your radio etiquette.” Steel rain replies snarkily. “Firing for effect.”

About 5 seconds later, you hear the guns begin firing every 10 seconds like you asked, arcing over head as you hear the massive 155 shells scream across the sky.

“Splash out.” Steel rain says, 5 seconds later the arty striking the tank dead center.

“Splash over, good kill.” You say before keying off the radio. “SWITCH TARGETS!”

Klent moves the laser a bit and an artillery round slams into the next tank, prompting him to switch targets again. This process keeps repeating as the tanks drop like flies, making you smile.

“Since when did you have this?!” Vikna asks.

“For a while now.” You reply. “Haven't had fire bases in range to use them until now.”

You begin hearing TOWs and Kornets going off as you watch the missiles going down range, spiraling around the air as they make their way toward the enemy tanks. The hiss and roar of Javelins going off behind you and in front of you made you smile as the Kornets reach their targets first. Every single missile hit its mark, a few tanks popping their turrets as the TOWs destroy the tanks with a top attack strike. Javelins rain from the sky on top of the tanks as they continue to push forward, either unaware they're being destroyed or simply not caring. You take out a pair of binoculars and take a look, seeing trucks moving in behind them.

“Gunny!” Your LT yells up before coming up on your left. “Holy shit, what the fuck is happening?!”

“Sir, we just took out about 33, make that 35 enemy tanks!” You tell him as 2 Javelins hit new targets. “Vikna, do we have any CAS from those groups above us?!”

“Negative! They're engaged!” She yells.

“Jack, what's going on?!” You hear Ayn yell out behind you.

“Ayn, go get some AT4s, Kornets, and TOWs from the armory down the road!” You yell. “Carry as many as you can!”

“That doesn't answer my question!” She yells back.

“Copy Overlord!” The LT says into his mic. “We've got a hundred and fifty more tanks heading to our position! This was just a scouting party!”

“AYN, WE'RE ABOUT TO BE FUCKING OVERRUN! GET THOSE MISSILES NOW!” You scream. “GET YOUR ASS IN GEAR!”

She doesn't question it further, running back as you're handed an AT4 from down the line.

“LT, we need tanks, as many as you can scrounge up! Get on the net and start talking with your tanks!” Vikna yells over to him. “Our heavy armor hasn't arrived yet and we can't dent them with these exports we have!”

“You got it Colonel.” He says.

“Jack, order your guys to flank those tanks as they come in! They'll be so focused on us that they won't expect a flank from the side!” Vikna tells you.

“What about the infantry?!” You ask.

“Fuck! I forgot!” She yells.

You hear another salvo of TOWs and Kornets go out as a few Javelins fire behind you. The tanks were now within range and begin firing off rounds, all of them falling too short or going long. Guess it pays to have a gun stabilizer, doesn't it?

“Jesus Christ!” Vikna shouts, getting down.

“Can you make bunkers for the TOWs?” You ask her. “Ice bunkers?”

“There's not enough moisture for something that thick!” She yells. “All I'll do is make a small wall!”

8 more tanks go down, leaving only 7 tanks left as they continue closing the distance at high speed.

“We're out!” One of the TOW gunners yells.

“I'm out too!” Another gunner yells.

“No you're not!” Ayn says, prompting you to look back and see her loaded down with at least 15 TOWs and Kornets.

“Holy fuck!” The LT yells, looking back at the woman who looks like she's made of missiles.

She leaps over the Hesco wall and stops by the Missile gunner, dropping a quarter of her load down on them. She continues to walk up and down the line, handing missiles to the men as they load up their weapons. The LT is on the radio again, yelling something incomprehensible over all of the missiles firing. The tanks fire again, most hitting short but one managing to hit the Hesco to your right, throwing men from the barricade.

“CORPSMAN ON THE RIGHT!” You shout.

“Colonel! I just got off the net with division and they said they're tied up 20 miles to our rear! We won't be getting any tanks!” The LT yells. “We're fucked!”

“Not yet LT.” You tell him. “They should be crossing into a kill zone, right?”

“Y-yes, but artillery isn't going to be enough!” He yells. “We need direct armor support!”

“Just call it in LT. We'll deal with it when they get here.” You tell him, another volley of missiles making their way across the sandy desert toward the last 2 remaining tanks. “I think their troops are retreating too.”

He looks out at the trucks in the distance, seeing them begin turning around as the missiles hit the last 2 tanks, causing them to brew up. This definitely brightens his mood as he gets on the radio, calling for fire on Baker 1, a pre-designated artillery zone for a massive wave like what was coming. You hear rockets and artillery firing behind you, the massive amount of guns and rockets flying into the air causing the men to cheer.

“I want as many fucking rounds as you got on Baker! Outlaw out!” He yells before setting the radio down. “This isn't going to fucking work!”

“Yes it will!” You yell back.

You hear the distinctive whine of a jet engine above you before a fight of familiar straight winged aircraft fly past at a considerable clip of speed. In the distance, you can see explosions peppering the ground as artillery and rockets rain down on the point the LT designated. When you look through your binoculars, you see a massive wall of armor that extends beyond the artillery barrage area, the tanks inside the barrage seeming to not care about being hit with artillery. A few of them are destroyed, but the artillery stops raining down after almost 5 minutes. That's when the flight of A-10s makes their way over the target, smoke coming from their noses as tracers hit the ground and begin brewing up tanks. The familiar sound of the A-10s gun echoes across the desert with an earth shattering BRRRRRRT. Tracers begin firing back at the A-10s as they break off of their attack, the tanks finally making it through Baker 1.

“LT, can you switch to Baker 2?” You ask.

“The guns are cooling down!” He yells. “I gotta go get the Major!”

The LT runs off before you can tell him to stay, leaving you here with the Corporal and Vikna, looking at tanks roll up on your position. The LT was such a fucking retard. He runs off on his own to go get more competent officers and manages to get lost in the base, taking his proper radio protocols and leadership ability with him. You're not equipped for this, nor do you have the rank to effectively issue orders. Vikna tries, but she's only really good in a ship on the sea or in space, not on the ground. Ayn was absolutely useless in this regard, barely being able to hit anything with a rifle past 400 meters, let alone command troops. Nytro tries his best, but all his tactics revolve around the enemy not shooting back and also revolve around using chemicals illegal in both universes during times of war. However, when you look down the line you don't see any officers anywhere. You take in a deep breath, preparing yourself to take command.

“Corporal! Go get me a JTAC!” You yell, to Klent. “Left line! Get on your guns and watch your sectors! Right line! I need one of your Sergeants to call in a strike on Baker 2! Tell them that they have 5 minutes to get their asses in gear before the tanks roll past Baker 2! Vikna, go find the heavy weapons platoon! We need them to start ferrying weapons and ammo up to the line! Find Ayn and ask her to pull a triple seven up to the gate! We're gonna direct fire these sons of bitches! Kill on 3! 1...2...3”

“KILL!” Everyone down the line yells.

You set up your 50 on the Hesco barrier, slamming the spikes down into the fiberglass barrier as you set the belt up on top of it. Vikna runs off to find Ayn and the heavy weapons platoon. Klent came back almost immediately after with a man who looked more tactical than SEAL team 6. He had a beard and a FAST helmet, looking out into the dust cloud with his rangefinder.

“Holy fucking shit!” He shouts. “That's a fucking tank division!”

“I noticed!” You yell over the thunder of the artillery behind you. “I need everything you can call in on those fuckers and I need it yesterday!”

“You got it Gunny!” The Technical Sergeant says.

He begins calling in fire support, calling in F-15s, A-10s, F-16s...basically anything he could get his hands on as you look back and see Vikna running back up with 5 massive dudes towing an artillery piece. More men are taking boxes full of TOWs and Kornets up the line. It brings a smile to your face when she hops back up on the Hesco, returning your smile.

“Getting things done.” She says. “I don't know why you didn't go for Lieutenant.”

“Gunny! Where do you want this howitzer?!” The men yell up at you.

“Right at the front gate!” You yell. “Prep the howitzer for direct fire!”

“Direct fire?!” One of them asks. “Fuck yeah!”

They pick up their pace as you see Ayn carrying even more ammunition up to the TOW and Kornet gunners before running back toward the armory for more.

“AYN!” You shout after her.

She stops in her tracks, looking back at you.

“Start running ammo and charges for the arty!” You yell to her. “Get moving!”

She nods, running back toward the artillery pit as you look back, seeing some trucks on the horizon.

“I've got half an air base heading out to try and thin out the tank division!” The JTAC yells to you. “I hope this works!”

“Look on the bright side, if we die, they can't kill us again!” You say with a smile.

You feel a slap on your helmet and look back at Vikna, who's entirely not amused. You give her an awkward smile before looking back at the advancing tank division.

“Devil Dog!” You hear behind you, prompting you to turn and see the Major walking up in full combat kit. “The hell was the LT blabbering about when he came to my office?”

“Sir, there's an entire god damn tank division bearing down on us!” You yell back before hearing the howitzer fire off to your right as it kicks up a ton of dust. “JTAC called in half an air base and one of the Sergeants called in a fire mission on Baker 2!”

“Holy shit, how'd we miss that?!” He asks, climbing up onto the Hesco and taking out his on pair of binoculars. “Jesus H. Christ! I thought he was full of shit! Where's our armor at?!”

“Tied up 20 miles to our rear!” You reply. “If even a quarter of them get close, we're fucked!”

“You got a radio?!” He asks. “What about the ships above us?!”

“Tied up!” You yell back, the guns behind you still raining hell as you hear rockets begin launching. “All we got is the air support we're being given!”

“The airbase is sending up B-52s!” The JTAC yells. “Cruise missiles are being fired as well! I need a SOFLAM!”

“Take mine!” Klent yells, handing him the massive green box. “Send the GPS coords over the radio!”

You watch as the JTAC points the massive laser at the approaching tank column, looking at the GPS coordinates from Sianian recon satellites. He calls back the coordinates and you see the A-10s from before begin strafing the tanks with rockets and guns. Tanks brew up as you look through your binoculars, seeing them be replaced by a seemingly never ending stream of armor.

“Fucking Christ son, your friend say we could use nukes?!” The Major asks.

“No, sir! Nukes are not an option!” You yell back.

“They're slowing down, sir!” Klent tells the Major.

“Good, maybe the air will stop them.” The Major says before you see them come to a complete stop. “See, they won't advance any further with all that thunder raining down.”

That's when you see their guns elevating, looking over at the JTAC.

“How far out are they?” You ask.

“About five miles out.” He says before you look back through your binoculars. “The fuck are they doing?”

“Indirect fire...” You say before 10 of the tanks fire. “GET DOWN!”

Seconds later you hear explosions go off around the front, men screaming from beyond the Hesco as you look up, seeing every single tank begin firing in a volley.

“Oh my fucking god!” You yell. “Vikna, make something to detonate those fucking rounds!”

She nods and you see a large sheet of ice form over your heads as it gets torn down by enemy fire. Chunks of ice rain down on top of you and the rest of the men, massive openings in the new roof being created by shells. When you look in the distance, you see the tanks fire again and your eyes go wide.

“Again!” You yell. “Another barrage incoming!”

She grunts a bit, filling in the holes with one hand and repairing the supports with another. The roof gets smashed again as men are laying on the ground in front of you, screaming in pain as corpsmen and medics treat them as best they can.

“Another one!” You yell.

“I-I'm trying!” She yells, creating another wall before it's blown to pieces again. “I-I can't keep doing this.”

“Get everyone off the line!” You yell down to the men beyond the Hesco barriers before turning to Vikna. “You can do it. I believe in you. Those soldiers and Marines are counting on you!”

“I-I'm too weak!” She says, the repaired ice being thinner than before. “I-it's too much...”

You put a hand on your shoulder and feel an electric shock as you grip her tight.

“Don't give up on me! I didn't marry a quitter!” You yell, your arm shaking as you feel something flowing through your arm. “You're not a quitter! You're a fucking doer! So take that weakness and toss it the fuck away! Do it again Vikna! Just keep us safe from those rounds!”

She thrusts her arms out and you feel an icy chill go down your spine as a massive wall of ice is formed in front of the tanks almost 5 miles away. Viknas hands are covered in frost as she thrusts her hands to the left, tanks beginning to fly into the air as a pillar of ice the size of a semi truck plows into the tanks. You feel yourself getting weaker as whatever is flowing through you continues to flow faster and faster. The ice Vikna is making keeps pushing the tanks as many of them pop their turrets when they flip, others trapping the crew inside as they get knocked around like toys by her ice. You fall to your knees as Vikna looks down at you with a look of surprise in her eye.

“Keep...going.” You say weakly.

She nods and continues running the massive iceberg across the line of tanks before she finally reaches the end of the line, letting up after she thrusts the remaining tanks into the air with a slanted pillar of ice. When you remove your hand, you barely find the strength to pull yourself up above the Hesco. Vikna puts a frost covered hand on your shoulder, still very surprised.

“Y-you're an amplifier?” She asks.

“What did I just...do?” You ask, nearly falling off the Hesco as Vikna grabs you, clipping you to the wire that keeps the Hesco barriers in a cube.

“You amplified the Tau coming in my body by a magnitude of 3.” She replies with a smile. “That's why you had so much retention. It's because you were amplifying, not storing.”

“What...does that...mean?” You ask, letting the clip hold you up.

“Judging by the shock, it means you have a very versatile gift.” She tells you. “Many heroes have Tau amplifiers as sidekicks, as they're pretty common. I think Zofie is an amplifier as well, but I can't remember.”

“What?” You ask. “What do you mean about being versatile?”

“It means you can probably use your magic in other ways. The shock may have only been a byproduct of a Tau transfer, but I'm sure it can be used elsewhere.” Vikna says with a smile. “I've never had a Tau amplifier help me with my magic before. It felt really good.”

You smile before looking at the massive ice wall and iceberg, seeing something moving in the distance.

“Not that I want to be the bearer of bad news, but there's more tanks coming around the wall!” The JTAC says. “Cruise missiles lost their way and the planes are grounded because of Separationist fighters. We're kind of fucked.”

“Vikna, can you make another wall?” You ask, putting your hand on her shoulder again.

“You'll pass out before I can.” She says, taking your hand off her shoulder.

“They're advancing!” The JTAC yells. “They'll be on us in 10 Mikes, within direct fire range in 5!”

“Son of a bitch.” The Major says. “Well, get yourself in a position to start letting off that AT4 Gunny. We've got a helluva fight coming our way.”

Just as he says that, you hear a set of 5 massive explosions off to your left, seeing projectiles flying toward the tanks as you look over to the noise. You see 5 angular looking tanks sitting in a line, which you recognize as T-14s. The tank closest to the wall had a man sitting outside of the tank, directing fire with his binoculars.

“VUSTRILEETS SNOVA!” You hear far down the line before watching 5 of the tanks advancing pop their turrets. “AHGOIN!”

The tanks fire again in a volley, the missiles flying at mach speed as they race off to the targets. The tanks turn toward their next targets as the missiles impact, firing even more missiles as they scream toward their targets. When the missiles hit, you see the Armatas begin moving forward at a considerable pace, hearing more engines off to your right.

“Russian armor?!” The Major asks.

“Yes comrade American!” Igor yells behind you. “One T-14 is equal to 15 T-72 Urals!”

He hops up between you and the Major, taking out his own binoculars with a giant shit eating grin on his face.

“How?” You ask.

“I owe you for Iran my friend. I called in some favors and they came running.” He says. “Do not worry, the armor on the tanks can not be penetrated by anything these Separationist dogs have to offer.”

“What did you do in Iran?” Vikna asks.

“I called for fire support on the hill supporting Igor. I got reprimanded for calling a bogus fire mission, but every Russian on that hill was saved when I did.” You tell her. “Guess it does pay to do the right thing.”

“Now the favor has been repaid and you can stop dangling it over my head.” He says with a smile before looking back at the carnage the T-14s are causing.

Shots are bouncing off the T-14s as they barrel down the desert, the T-72s breaking rank as they begin turning tail and heading home. The T-14s give chase, being much faster than the aging soviet era tanks that are completely outdated.

“How did these tanks ever give you guys trouble?” You ask Vikna.

“They come in waves just like this one.” She says. “All we have are export tanks planet side. The heavy tanks were supposed to come in a few weeks ago, but the transports were interdicted by pirates and Separationists. The ships had to be scuttled before the tanks fell into enemy hands.”

“Shit.” Is all you say.

“That is definitely a problem.” Igor tells her. “How does one interdict a ship going faster than light?”

“By sitting at main shipping lanes and cutting them off by forcing them to jump back to normal speed.” She says. “If they keep going, they'll kill everyone aboard the two vessels. That's why we DON'T USE THE SAME FUCKING ROUTES BACK AND FORTH!”

“Your wife is very feisty. I like this.” Igor says with a chortle.

You hear a round whistle overhead and look back to the front, being reminded that there's still a quarter of a division of active tanks bearing down on you. You see the trucks that retreated earlier now making themselves known, RPGs firing at the T-14s as they fall way short. The tanks don't stop focusing their fire on the T-72s, still tearing them apart with a single shot as the rounds the old Soviet tanks fire back just detonate the ERA and don't go through. Instead of trying to give chase to the tanks, the trucks just move on past and continue toward the base.

“It's not over yet!” You yell, racking the bolt on your 50. “Guns up!”

You see Vikna make pillars of ice in front of and underneath the trucks, causing them to crash and flip respectively. The TOWs and Kornets open up as well, the missiles guiding onto the targets as the Javelins launch too. Missiles strike down the trucks as they all continue coming. You adjust the sights on the M2 out to 1000 meters, as you line up a truck in your sights.

“Give me a range!” You yell.

“1200 meters and closing!” The JTAC yells. “Air support is inbound, ETA 5 mikes! 1100 meters! 1000 meters!”

“OPEN FIRE!” You shout down the line before turning to the opposite side. “OPEN FIRE!”

You fire your weapon and the meaty chugging of the 50 fills your ears, tracers flying into the truck you were aiming at as it veer off to the right. When the men dismount, you continue firing the 50, tearing them apart as other 50 calibers and 7.62 weaponry fire on area targets. Vikna covers her ears before grabbing some ear pieces from her pocket, jamming them down her ears canals before picking up a gun she had left on the ground.

“HOLD YOUR FIRE UNTIL THEY'RE INSIDE 500 METERS!” You shout over your gun.

“How can I tell?!” Vikna shouts back.

“They'll stop looking like triangles!” You yell back before continuing to fire your 50 cal, the weapon kicking the shit out of your shoulder.

Everyone who didn't have a 50 or a 7.62 rifle was waiting as you all continued to chop into the trucks and men who dismounted, mowing them down as the T-14s continue to pummel their armor. You continue to range down as they get closer and closer, some of the men with rifles opening up as you continue to pour down hate. Vikna stands firm with her little carbine, ranging it to 500 meters as you continue to fire at the men as they get closer. Finally, Vikna and the rest of the men begin opening up, laying down a wall of lead as technicals begin firing back at you. The howitzer fires and a massive cloud of dirt is kicked up, flipping 2 technicals over as they prioritize the trucks over the tanks 5 miles out. The 50 runs dry after almost 200 rounds of ammo, prompting you to pull a belt off your MOLLE shove it in the side of the gun until you hear a click. You pull the charging handle back twice and begin firing again, the gun chugging along without missing a beat.

As you continue firing, you begin noticing the men who are coming at you begin firing back. You duck down as rounds fly over your head, continuing to lay fire down as Vikna fumbles with her magazine. She tries loading a new one and it falls out, prompting you to take the weapon from her.

“MAG IN, TAP, SLAP!” You shout, sliding the magazine in, tapping it in place, and slapping the bolt release. “Keep the fire up!”

You hand her the weapon back and you get back on your 50 as the gun continues to bark out a response to all of the anthros and humans that continue trying to get near. The M777 continues to fire on large groups of targets and technicals coming in, taking inaccurate fire from the thoroughly terrified and untrained men. When they try hiding behind trucks, the M777 and grenade launchers make them think twice, on top of you spraying them all down with 50 caliber ammo. The barrel is starting to get very hot, waves of heat coming off it.

“Vikna! I need you to cool my barrel!” You tell her. “Can you do that?!”

“Child's play!” She yells, putting her hand near your barrel as she cools it enough for frost to form.

She grabs a magazine and lets the empty slide down, shoving the new one in place with a slap before palming the bolt release, continuing to fire on the men as they try to return fire. You never give them the chance, as you take out anyone who pops their head out on your sector, Vikna popping the ones you don't get. Everything around you has ceased existing as you watch them all begin running back the way they came, mowing them down as they try to run. You see the ground beside them explode as a massive trail of rounds hits the ground. Moments later you hear the distinct BRRRRT of an A-10 as it pulls up again, the sound of its jet engines being drowned out by the cacophony of gunfire. In the distance, you see F-15s drop snake eyes on the T-72s, blowing them apart as the T-14s finish off the stragglers. Another A-10 rips into the troops in front of you, a piece of fragmentation slamming into Vikna as she nearly falls off the edge.

“I'm good!” She yells. “Armor saved me!”

You slap her on the back and continue firing as the remaining trucks turn around and hightail it out of there. You continue firing at the retreating trucks, not intent on letting them leave without suffering some casualties. Seems the Air Force has the same idea, A-10s and F-15s strafing the trucks as they try to escape. You keep firing on the trucks as they get away, eventually running out of ammo. When you take another belt off your MOLLE, you feel a hand on your arm. You turn and see Vikna shaking her head, prompting you to look around. Everyone else had stopped firing by now, some looking at you while others kept an eye on their sectors. Vikna gives you a nervous smile, chuckling a bit.

“The Major ordered a cease fire as soon as the trucks started retreating.” She tells you. “He tried telling you, but you must not have heard...”

You look back at the Major, who was giving you a look of disapproval. You scratch behind your neck and he snorts, hopping down from the Hesco barrier.

“Medic!” You hear from in front of the line.

“Corpsman!” Another yells.

You look over the fence and see a few men with shrapnel wounds. Medics and Corpsmen are making their way over to the men as you look around.

“Anyone hit behind the line?!” You ask.

“I'm hit, but I can walk to the aid tent!” One of the men down the line says, hopping down with a bloody gash in his shoulder.

You look back at Vikna and see a piece of metal stuck in her Kevlar like armor, pulling it out and throwing it on the ground.

“You okay?” You ask.

“I'm fine. The padding and my fur took the majority of the hit.” She tells you. “Let's get inside. I'm hot and tired right now from using my magic so much.”

You look back out at the massive wall of ice, alongside the icebergs she made to destroy the tanks with. The T-14s were racing around it, firing when they round the corner and disappear behind the ice.

“Should we confirm our kills?” You ask.

“No. If I go out there, I think I'll throw up.” She tells you. “I can already smell it from here.”

You nod and hop off the barricade, taking the empty 50 with you. Vikna comes down too, walking with you to the conex.

2 hours later

Vikna

You're reading through Jack's book, now knowing why he warned you about the beginning. It was very dark, the main character having to fight depression and losing you due to a fight. It wasn't just a small fight either, it was an hour long ordeal that spanned 4 pages and was basically bashing both his and your character flaws. Speaking of which, he went off to go and talk to his commanding officer. He wasn't very happy that the Lieutenant decided to run off and leave him “high and dry” as he says. You had to agree, as this man seemed to be a less than competent CO under fire.

As you continue to read, you see a few pages that were indecipherable messes of words that sounded very angry and sorrowful, like they weren't even part of the story. Retellings of past engagements he never talked about, all told in character by what you guessed by now was more of a self insert than an actual made up character. Sad stories of villagers he helped being turned into red mist by bogus artillery missions, men dying in his arms as he tried to help them to safety, and children being cut down because they carried bombs toward trucks. The story goes on to describe the various things he did to try and end himself, which you can only hope are just fake and adding tension instead of being actual failed attempts at suicide. It becomes very morbid as he continues describing the crippling addiction to alcohol, smoking, and general lack of motivation to do anything outside of those first two things. The last thing he did was send a letter to you, telling you he was sorry for saying all those things to you and he wanted you to live happily without him. When the letter was sent, he was making preparations to finally end his life when something completely unexpected happened.

'She came back.'

The story shifted to a much more joyful and jovial tone, the entire book becoming something much more light hearted and uplifting. There were jokes that actually made you laugh, moments that made your heart flutter, and his character putting you up on a pedestal. It was so exciting to read and it felt like he was doing it less as a chore and more as something he genuinely enjoyed making. You remember walking up on him and getting flustered when you read some of the things he was typing, giving him shit for it while he seemed to not care. Ever since you fell for him, your entire perception of his personality and him as a whole has changed for the better, seeing he's just a little bit awkward and not just a pervert. He still was a perv, no doubt, but at least he wasn't creepy or disgusting about it. If anything, he turned it down a lot since he became engaged with you, even more so when you accepted his proposal. More over, you probably became even more of a pervert, considering how much you two did it in the forest of love and lust. You never thought that a book like this would ever make you reflect on yourself so much, even though it was basically just you and his self insert being lovey dovey. That's when the question arose. The door opens and Jack enters the building, closing the door gently.

“If you loved me so much, why didn't you just tell me?!” You ask, tossing the pen down and crossing your arms.

“Oh...uh, well...I...” He says before sighing. “I was afraid.”

“What?” You ask, cocking your head. “Jack, you've gone headlong into gangs, terrorists, supernatural forces, and entire governments. What could you possibly be afraid of?”

“You saying no...” He says, walking over to the bed and grabbing the Holo-Tab pen. “I was afraid that if I asked, you'd say no.”

“If you asked me the day you came to help me, I would've said yes without a second thought.” You say. “Yes, there are some times I wouldn't have said yes, such as if I found this sitting on your terminal, but I think it's...flattering.”

“You mean it's creepy?” He asks.

“Yes, that too, but it's mostly flattering. At least you're not like Giyvan. He never left me alone with the...things he sent me.” You say, remembering all of the unflattering pictures he messaged you.

“You sure you're not too creeped out by it?” He asks. “When I'm finished writing it, I usually go back and trim the story a bit so it's a bit less...you know...”

“You mean your other story was like that too?” You ask.

“Yeah, it was.” He replies, sitting down next to you before opening the pen. “I see you're on page 470. You know what happened on page 465?”

“What?” You ask, only remembering you came back.

“You all came to my house in the middle of me writing that page.” He tells you with a smile. “I know it's a stark contrast, but that's exactly what happened. You all made me so happy that I just couldn't keep the dark theme going anymore. I felt like a new man! But now, I feel like a huge nerd.”

“You are a huge nerd.” You say with a smile, pulling him toward you. “You're my huge nerd.”

He hugs you back and you both sit there for a while, just holding each other close. He lets go after a bit and you clear your throat, smiling.

“So, how'd it go with the LT?” You ask.

“Fucking POG officers.” He says. “Dude was shitting his pants in the most not tactical way possible. He was taken off the platoon and replaced with a first Lieutenant. New officer's a real stand up guy.”

“That's great.” You tell him, looking off to the pen. “Mind if I...”

“Oh! Sure.” He says, handing you back the pen. “I'll finish it once we're done here. What was the projection? 5 days from now?”

“I think that's what you said.” You reply. “5 days from now...imagine that. We'll be back at home planning our little wedding. Where do you think we should do it?”

“There's this really great place down by the lake. It's summer too, so we don't have to worry about being cold.” He tells you. “So, you only want our families there?”

“Immediate family and friends only.” You tell him. “I don't want 50 members of your family and 30 members of mine all over there taking up space and making it awkward. I'm not going to make you spend a hundred grand on a wedding.”

“So, you're okay with the lakeside?” He asks.

“Yeah, I think that would be great.” You reply. “That kind of wedding is only reserved for the rich here.”

“At least I can give my beautiful wife something fancy.” He says with a smile. “I won't go over 10 grand on the wedding though.”

You hear a knock on the door.

“May I come in?” A man you don't recognize asks.

“You can come in LT.” Jack replies.

The door opens and a man who looks taller than Jack enters, prompting Jack to go to attention.

“As you were Gunny.” He replies.

“What's up LT?” Jack asks, walking over to the LT.

“Command has been reviewing your file with the Emperor. Weiler has taken a particular interest in you and is recommending you for a commendation.” The LT says. “They're saying it could be something big.”

“Big as in what?” Jack asks.

“Navy cross big.” He replies. “Could even be a medal of honor.”

Jack gasps slightly at the mention of the medal of honor.

“No way...” Jack says. “I...”

“You went above and beyond the call of duty Gunnery Sergeant.” The LT tells him. “Well beyond. I'm honored to have someone like that under my command.”

“T-thank you, sir.” Jack says with a stutter. “I-I didn't think I did enough to deserve something like that...”

“That being said, I bring bad news too.” The LT tells him. “The Major wants you put in for a psych eval before the war is over. I'd recommend doing it as soon as possible.”

Jack seems to deflate at this, looking down at the floor.

“Yes, sir.” He says. “I'll do that before the war is out.”

“Thanks Gunny. You two have a good one.” The LT says with a smile as he looks toward you.

“Thank you, sir.” Jack says before the LT leaves.

Jack walks back and sits down on the bed hard, launching you into the air a bit.

“What's a medal of honor?” You ask.

“The medal of honor is the highest military commendation attainable by anyone in the US armed forces.” He replies. “They're talking about awarding me one. If not, the navy cross is an extremely prestigious medal.”

“What about the psych eval?” You ask. “What will they do when they...you know...find out?”

“I'll probably be honorably discharged with no chance of reenlistment.” He replies somberly. “I hope it doesn't come to that, but everyone who knows me knows it's the reality of the situation.”

“Will that mean you'll need to get a new job?” You ask.

“No, my pay will be substantial enough to support us.” He replies. “I can use that gold if I want, but I think it'll be highly suspect. I was hesitant to give a pound to Fluff when he asked for one.”

“Don't you mean she?” You ask.

“I only interact with the furry self of Fluff, therefore I'm calling him a he.” He replies.

“But you gave the gold to her human self.” You tell him.

“It's semantics.” He tells you, getting annoyed. “Call him whatever you like, I'm not fucking around with pronouns.”

“Kind of rude, but okay.” You say. “Let's go for a walk. I want to see what's going on outside.”

4 days later

Jack

You're so close. The only place left that's holding out is the palace and a few surrounding buildings. You've been following along on the radio and helmet cams of a few Marines who let you access their feed. The civilians were now turning into insurgents, except this time they were working for you instead of the terrorists from your world. It was heart warming to see all of the men picking up arms to defend their country, even when half of them didn't know how to shoot a gun. Ayn was sitting in a broadcast station, telling the men to not use car bombs and suicide bombers, even though they were effective tactics. It was a waste of precious life and it would weigh heavily on her heart if they used something like that to fight. The queen was also being kept in a safe house at the top of one of the super housing units, telling all of her subjects that the war was nearing its end and that they all needed to stay strong. You were still back at the main staging area, remembering what had happened during the spearhead into the city.

The tanks had all been fitted with energy shield generators to get past the electronic warfare ship laser turrets, the shields barely holding long enough to get within range of the guns. Sabots and HE rounds were used to destroy the turrets without issue before everything else became a cake walk. A division of Marines, Royal Marines, an entire Army Corps, and a Russian tank army made quick work of them as they pushed into the city hard. Only 472 prisoners were taken in the entire 50 square mile city. Those prisoners were taken by the Russians of all people, everyone else still wanting vengeance for half the population being slaughtered for attempting to resist. Anybody in that town who still affiliated themselves with the Separationists after that lost their right to live in your eyes. The super housing units were by far the most tricky obstacle of the entire war, taking a day to clear with a battalion dedicated to each building. Yeah, it's that big. They even had their own FOBs and supply bases on the roofs. You hear a knock on the door and the LT comes in, prompting you to get up and stand at attention.

“As you were Gunny.” He says, taking a chair from the desk and sitting down, prompting you to sit back on the bed. “Where's the Colonel?”

“She's up in orbit.” You reply. “What's up, sir?”

“Gunny, this war is about to be over.” He tells you. “I want you to know that you played a major part in this war before we even came here, inspiring the people and being a generally well liked man.”

“If only they knew what I did.” You say, looking down at the ground before putting on a smile again. “Sorry for interrupting.”

“Well, it was basically guaranteed you were getting a Navy Cross, but they put in for the big one anyway. Major was told by Mattis that the President read through it and approved it without another word.” He says. “It's the first Medal of Honor the President has given out and there's one more recipient that was presented afterward. I think there were ten recommendations that made it in and only you two made the cut.”

“Sir, may I ask who the other man is?” You ask.

“Captain Richard Sellar.” He replies. “He basically led an entire battalion of rebels by himself and operated independently for nearly five months before finally getting aid from the Emperor.”

“Hardcore.” You tell him. “I only wish someone had told me about it. When are we being presented?”

“That's the thing...” The LT tells you. “It's in five days. The President was very excited. The meeting will be in four.”

You raise your eyebrows in surprise, having not expected this to go through so fast.

“I...I didn't even think I was getting anything from this.” You say, stuttering a bit as you talk. “I-I don't know w-what to say.”

“Easy Gunny.” He says. “You've got three days to prepare. I'm sure your dress uniform is still clean and fit, right?”

“I-it fits, but I grew three inches since I was fitted for it.” You reply.

“It should be fine.” He tells you. “Just don't raise your arms above your head and you should be okay.”

“Well, what about Siania?” You ask. “What's the status on the palace?”

“It's being taken as we speak. The man who was in charge fled and Marines are taking the lower levels. War's almost over and it's gone better than we could've imagined.” He says.

“The people wanted to be freed.” You tell him. “They wanted their queen and, arguably more importantly, their princess back.”

“Helluva lot better than Iraq.” He says. “Leagues better than Iran and Afghanistan. I'll leave you to it Gunny. Have a good one and get yourself ready.”

“Yes, sir.” You tell him. “You too...I mean have a good one!”

He shakes his head and makes his way out of your conex, leaving you alone with Judas Priest again. You lay back on the bed and sigh. The Medal of Honor was the highest military honor you could possibly receive. The fuck did you do to deserve this?

4 days later

You're sitting in a conference room inside the white house, looking at your watch under your sleeves before you feel a hand on your knee. You were tapping your foot nervously again. When you look back at Vikna, she sighs, sitting back in the chair.

“So, when is he going to be here?” She asks.

“I don't know.” You reply. “They said he'd be here thirty minutes ago.”

“Thirty minutes is still thirty minutes my time, right?” She asks.

“Yeah, it is.” You reply before hearing the door open behind you.

“Sorry I'm late.” A smooth talking voice says as a man with black hair and an armed man flanking him says. “I had to deal with some secret service.”

“Mister President, sir.” You say, holding out a hand. “It's an honor to meet you.”

He takes your hand and you get up, shaking his hand properly before Vikna gives him a salute. He furrows his brow and cocks his head before smiling, giving her a Star Trek peace sign in return. You wait until he makes it to a chair and sits down before you both do the same. He looks over at you and Vikna before smiling.

“You both always that rigid?” He asks. “It's okay to relax. I'm not some hard ass dictator. Don't mind the suit over here, he's just here because they won't leave me alone with my own Marine.”

You relax a bit, looking over at Vikna and seeing her do the same. You look back at the President and see him smiling, pulling his hair back and nodding.

“So, am I correct in saying you spent four months in country in their time before official aid was approved?” He asks. “Without any official support from the US? In uniform?”

“Yes, sir.” You reply.

“You led an excursion to an airport a day after you first arrived to save all of the men and women in said airport?” He asks.

“Yes, sir.” You repeat.

“You took on an entire battalion of tanks?” He asks.

“Not a battalion, sir. It was a division. Everybody played their part, I only made recommendations as to what everyone should do.” You reply.

“I see. Your leg was blown off after pushing this young lady out of the way of a sniper, correct?” He asks.

“Yes, sir.” You reply. “It was reattached.”

“What about this report of you stabilizing a...uh...queendom by assassinating the former queen?” He asks.

“That's incorrect, sir. I shot the box controlling her.” You reply back.

“Cool.” He says with a smile. “What about clearing out an entire section of a city with only a single squad?”

“Yes, sir. That happened.” You reply.

“I also heard reports of you rescuing one of the most, if not the most important figure in this other world. His name was rad Olev or something. I can't remember.” He says.

“I don't think he'd like me admitting this, but I did rescue Radoslav from imprisonment with the help of the Kavkor here and my friend ARA. She's an android they like to call anthroids.” You tell him, beginning to open up a bit.

“I've also been told that you've rescued this Kavkor from many attempts on her life. Is this correct?” He asks.

“I did, sir.” You reply.

He takes a brief case from off the ground, setting it on the table before opening it up. He pulls out some pictures and sets them on the table, facing them toward you. One was of you raising the American flag on Katric, another of you in Zofies bakery, beating the shit out of the men inside, and the last few from the reporter taking pictures during missions.

“Every political envoy I've talked with has spoken of this image right here.” He says, pointing to you raising the flag. “They think all Americans are heroes and that all Marines are our champions. They all knew you by your name or previous rank, talking about you as if you were this mythical hero from a story book. I also heard from a reliable source that you don't think you earned the medal I'm going to present to you tomorrow.”

“I...don't know what to say, sir.” You tell him.

“Gunnery Sergeant...Jack. For politicians to know you by name and not refer to you as some sort of crazy man, family member, or political opponent is very rare. Your name is associated with a new renaissance in peace among the locals of that planet. You acted as both an ambassador and an example of the courage American Marines are known for. You faced an entire city full of combatants with only a single squad and you got them all out alive while capturing the city. This is only one of the feats you accomplished while in uniform and in another galaxy.” He explains. “You stabilized a...queendom, saved the Emperor of nearly a quarter of that galaxy, saved an entire squad of Marines and soldiers from different time periods, and kept yourself sane through all of it. You're not just a Marine anymore son, you're a legend. Just like your Captain. He has his own story that I could go on for hours about.”

“Sir-”

“Don't 'sir' me, son. You've not only earned this, but you deserve this. I'm honored to meet a man so devoted to the people he cares for that he'd fight an entire war for them. Hell, you spearheaded the campaign on the main continent and held off until the Katrician 'elite' forces could arrive and contain the situation.” He interrupts. “You could've taken your leave there, but you kept going. You kept fighting and didn't stop until the threat was contained. You took your leave and came home, only to go back and start fighting some more. You had boots on the ground before even the Captain was there. Both of you went far above and beyond the call of duty, before you were even called to serve in the war. Now, let's start talking about what you did.”

The next day

You're standing on top of a stage, many men in dress blues from many different branches looking back at you as you look around the room. Vikna and Ayn were both in the front row, alongside your dad who got fitted with a new dress uniform a few weeks ago. Ayn was wearing an actual proper dress while Vikna was wearing a full coverage dress uniform that didn't look like she was trying to show off all of her legs to the whole crowd. Ayn was surprisingly respectful during the prayer earlier, even closing her eyes and following along. Vikna was smiling the entire time, along with your dad who was practically bursting with pride. The President clears his throat and makes his way to the microphone. The crowd begins applauding, watching as he stands tall behind the microphone.

“Thank you, thank you.” He says, calming the crowd down. “Today is a momentous occasion for us. Not only because we have all of you wonderful service men and women here, but because we have one of the luckiest men alive standing right next to me. Please welcome, Gunnery Sergeant Haigs of the United States Marine Corps.”

The crowd stands and begins applauding, bringing a smile to your face before everyone calmed down.

“Almost two weeks ago our time, I was presented with a story so amazing and unbelievable, that I had to see the man behind it for myself. I was already set on having this man presented with a Navy cross, but when I read his full report, I changed my mind.” He says with a smile. “This man has been through more in the past two years than many servicemen and women will go through in their entire career. Today he's joined by Colonel Ramenskaya, who's also his fiance from the world of Katric, princess Ayn from the world of Siania, and his father, a former Technical Sergeant in the Air Force. Please, stand up for us.”

The three of them stand up and everyone begins clapping again, making Vikna blush a bit as Ayn waves gently. Eventually, they all take their seats and the applause stops.

“Technical Sergeant Haigs, we stand in awe at the courage of your son. We were unable to get into contact with any living Medal of Honor recipients, as most of them went back off to fight alongside Gunnery Sergeant Jackson Haigs in his fight to free the people of the Rishan galaxy from the oppression of men who came from our planet.” The President continues saying. “We're all very thankful to these men for their service.”

You look back and see the screen he was reading off of go blank, the projector spewing a bit of smoke before someone gets up and unplugs the thing.

“I think the projector may be out of action, mister President.” A man in a black suit says. “Do you want us to retrieve another?”

“That would take too long.” He replies. “I'll just have to tell it like I remember it.”

He looks over at you and smiles, prompting you to smile back.

“On the month of April, 2023, Gunnery Sergeant Haigs informed his father that he was going to be departing to an unknown location that was later discovered to be Katric. When he stepped through the gateway to the new planet, he immediately was fired upon by enemy sniper and machine gun fire. He acted quickly, taking cover inside the nearest building before providing food to one of the people who worked inside. He then wasted no time in going up the building, finding Colonel Ramenskaya trying to eliminate threats with a weapon she deemed insufficient for the task.” The President begins. “Jackson took it upon himself to provide support with a weapons platform made obsolete years before he was born, taking out targets at over 900 meters with a rifle made for general infantry use, he made the landing zone safe enough for a dropship to land and pick the two up.”

He looks back over the crowd before digging out a folder, pulling out some papers before continuing.

“Then, a month or so later, he was slated to return from Siania after destroying some kind of mind control device that was controlling the queen. He says that he didn't play much of a role, but I know that's a big ole lie.” He says, people chuckling a bit as Ayn gives you a smirk. “He intercepted radio communications from a planet he was passing by in a shuttle and immediately sprang into action, having the Colonel land on the planet before moving to support the men on the ground. These men appeared to have time traveled, all being from the period of the Civil War, to the more modern operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. At the risk of his own life, he gave them all the courage and the strength to push an overwhelming force back with no loss of life. Afterward, he pulled them back to the shuttle aboard a single Humvee and a Jeep, making it back to orbit successfully.”

He turns the page and takes a drink of water, setting the bottle back down afterward.

“Skip forward past a lot of missions and heroics to a time when he was with his squad in a jungle. It was no ordinary jungle, it was infested with terrorists and a woman who could send people into a dream like state. Gunnery Sergeant Haigs, in an act of incredible resilience and will power, managed to escape the prison his mind had become. He then turned his weapon on the terrorists trying to kill his men, taking them all down one by one before they had all been eliminated.” He continues. “After a brief exchange between him and the Colonel, a sniper made itself known as a cloud of dirt erupted from the ground. In an act of heroism and courage, he pushed the Colonel out of the way, sparing her life as his leg was amputated from the knee down by the sniper. He's the reason why Kavkor Vikna Ramenskaya is still alive to this day.”

You feel your cheeks heat up as you see Viknas entire face go red, both of you knowing that it wasn't all heroics.

1 hour later

The president had finally finished telling your tale, as the room sat, listening intently to the dramatization of your time in the Rishan galaxy. You stood with a General to the left of the President and you to the right.

“I'm not going to ask you to repeat all of that ma'am.” He says to the military aid.

“Thank you sir, I will read an abridged version.” The woman says. “The President of the United States of America, authorized by act of congress, March third, 1863, has awarded in the name of congress, the Medal of Honor to Gunnery Sergeant Jackson H. Haigs, United States Marine Corps for gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his own life above and beyond the call of duty. Gunnery Sergeant Haigs's actions during the entirety of this campaign, are in keeping with the finest traditions of military service, and reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Marine Corps.”

As she finishes, you see the General pass the medal over to the President and cameras start taking pictures rapidly. It almost sounds like machinegun fire. You turn away from the president and he puts his arm around your neck, making your blood pressure sky rocket as he drapes the medal around you. He then begins tying a knot as more cameras continue to take pictures, finishing and putting his hand on your shoulders. He turns you toward the crowd and gets close to your ear.

“Thank you for your service to this country and the world.” He says quietly. “You won't be forgotten. Semper Fi Marine.”

He then holds a hand out to you and you take it, shaking his hand before the crowd begins applauding. He lets go and steps back to where he was standing, giving you a round of applause as well before the crowd quiets down. A prayer is said and you close your eyes, looking down at the ground as what the preacher says comes in one ear and goes out the other. You were fighting to keep your composure, feeling so happy that the war was practically over. You'd be going back to Siania in 2 days if the war wasn't done, but now it was just a hunt for their head honcho, Al'Suwari. When the prayer was done, you look at Vikna and see her wiping under her eye, giving you a smile as Ayn has her arm draped over her. Your dad was smiling with pride, making you smile back as you hear an “oorah” come from the crowd, prompting a few more people to yut and rah as well. It makes you chuckle as the President gives you the all clear to move down the aisle, allowing you to leave.

2 hours later

You're sitting at a table, your father sitting with you as Vikna sits to your right. Ayn is sitting right next to the President as you continue to eat your steak, happy to not have broken down.

“So, now that the war is nearing an end, what do you think you'll do?” The President asks.

“I think I'll seal the deal with Ramenskaya here and finally marry in the eyes of the law.” You say, looking down at a now blushing Vikna.

“I guess that's as good a goal as any. Few things are more noble than marriage.” He says. “Just remember that a happy wife is a happy life. Learned that one the hard way.”

You laugh at that, looking down at Vikna as she smiles back at you.

“Yeah, remember that.” She teases.

“What about you Kavkor?” He asks, looking at Vikna now.

“I'm going to settle down for a while. I'll probably go on foreign alert, where I can be ready to deploy in times of crisis at any moment unless, well, I'm busy with children.” She says. “We should be at peace for a long time now though, but I probably wouldn't have to worry either way.”

She puts an arm around yours and rubs against your blues, getting a couple strands of fur and hair on them. He chuckles at this as you feel your face light up like a Christmas tree, going completely red as she basically spills the beans on your honeymoon plans. Is your obliviousness rubbing off on her too?

“Your kids will be well cared for thanks to your future husband.” He says with a smile. “What about you, princess? You have any plans for the future?”

“I am working on becoming more responsible and respectful right now. This war has taught me that I can't get by on being carefree the rest of my life. Hopefully I may one day succeed my mother as ruler of Siania.” She replies. “I'm currently trying to find a husband of my own, but I feel I'm not responsible enough yet.”

“I see.” He says. “What about you Dan? How do you feel about your son winning the highest military honor we can award in the US?”

“I say it's about time.” He replies with a wheezing laugh. “This man right here is the greatest son a man could ask for.”

“Dad...” You say, putting a hand behind your neck.

The President chuckles and you all continue eating in relative peace.

7 hours later

You finally lay down on your bed, having hung up the medal on your wall for right now. Vikna crawls up on top of you and smiles, rubbing her face against your cheeks as she covers you both up with the blanket. It was warm outside, but you had the air conditioning on at around 70 degrees, so it was all fine. It was a damn sight better than 80 degrees inside an air conditioned conex.

“I'm so proud of you.” Vikna says. “I told Ayn I wouldn't cry, but I did anyway.”

“She didn't tease you, did she?” You ask, rubbing her back gently.

“No, not at all.” She replies. “She said she was surprised that I lasted as long as I did.”

“I thought I was gonna break down and have a fit too. I was so worried that I was going to fuck up that I started shaking a bit.” You tell her. “Cameras didn't help either.”

“Yeah, I kind of figured.” She says. “What do you say? Should we wait until after our wedding or should we do it while we're here?”

You feel her pull her panties down, cooing gently as you shake your head.

“We should wait until after the wedding.” You tell her. “How many kids do you want? One or two?”

“We'll see how one goes.” She says. “If I'm not too stressed out, we can have two. Unless, you're not okay with having more than one.”

“I was going to say cap it off at two.” You tell her. “Maybe we can have more once our first kid or kids grow up. We have that thing we can do to extend our lives, right?”

“You're right.” Vikna says before kissing you. “Still, I think my hero deserves a heroes welcome from his loving wife, don't you~?”

“Aw, don't call me that...” You say, a bit embarrassed by it. “I guess we-MMF”

She pulls you into a kiss and begins stripping you of your underwear.

3 days later

You're sitting aboard the Emperor's royal vessel, which Vikna says looked like it was fresh out of the factory. You were sitting in your dress blues, as Mattis had authorized their use when visiting the Emperor. Speaking of which, Mattis had specifically called for you when you were invited aboard the vessel.

“Staff, er, Gunnery Sergeant, come with me.” A fox in royal looking robes says, prompting you to stand.

You follow the fox into a large room with a table and a large and luxurious throne sits at one end, the fox leaving you. Radoslav was sitting in the throne as a very VERY large rottweiler with a large amount of scars and visible augments sat a few seats down. Mattis was drinking something from a glass before you stand at attention for the man. He gets up, standing at attention in return before giving you a salute. You salute back, unsure of what you were supposed to do in that situation.

“No more of that standing at attention shit in here.” He says. “Take a seat.”

You continue to look down the table and see Vikna sitting as far away from the rottweiler as she possibly could.

“Please, sit.” Radoslav adds. “Your General has ordered it so.”

You nod, taking a seat by Vikna before noticing her hair is standing on end. She's never like this, not even in front of Radoslav. When you look down the table at the rottweiler, you can see why. He's a terrifying monster of a man who has to be at least 4 inches taller than you sitting down. The rottweiler looks over at you in disgust, shaking his head before looking forward again. When you look at Mattis, he smirks, shaking his head before you look forward again.

“Well, the good news is, we've caught Al'Suwari and he's sitting behind bars.” Radoslav says. “The bad news is, we need to pick up the pieces of this war and provide compensation to all the parties who were involved. I could reach absolutely nobody for this purpose, as the interplanetary communications are down on this vessel. I've currently whipped some of the crew into the airlock to repair it.”

You look back at him with a bit of worry and he smirks, chuckling afterwards.

“I'm only joking lover boy.” He says. “However, they are working on restoring communications so we can officially discuss sending compensation to your people.”

“I don't think we'll ask for much. Maybe a few ships so we can start exploring the stars, but even that might be pushing it.” Mattis says.

“That's very humble of you.” Radoslav says with a smile. “I have even better news for our Kavkor. Due to your service in this war and your heroism displayed in battle, you're going to be awarded the Order of the Emperor. You will also be promoted from Kavkor to Kirov, now commanding fleets of ships instead of one single ship if you so choose. However, you will be given access to any ship that you like, even one of the new heavy battle cruisers you've put in for. Your advice in the battle above Siania has proved vital in the war we just won, so I don't mind pulling strings to give you the ship of your dreams.”

You look back over at Vikna and see her mouth hanging open in shock.

“Y-your excellency, am I hearing that I'm being awarded the Order of the Emperor?” She asks.

“Yes my beautiful Kirov. You're also being promoted for your excellent service in the name of your planet and your seniority.” He replies.

“If I may...” The rottweiler interjects in a very deep Russian accent. “Are you to say that this Kavkor is going to awarded the highest honor in both the military and civilian community, because she fought on the dirt like an insect?”

You feel a chill run down your spine as he speaks, Radoslav not being amused by the way he's speaking.

“Hold your tongue Bhainen.” He says. “Ramenskaya comes from a long line of humble naval Kavkors. One of these men, you bumped down to Kavkor for daring to suggest that we don't glass the planet.”

“You were going to glass the planet?!” You hear come from the door, seeing Ayn and Kesis standing there.

“How dare you come in here and show such disrespect for the Emperor. On your knees, now.” Bhainen says, rising to his full, hulking height.

“Sit down Bhainen.” Radoslav tells him. “Now.”

“But, your majesty-”

“I said sit!” Radoslav yells angrily.

The massive rottweiler bares his teeth before sitting down with haste, the chair he was sitting in bottoming out on the floor before hovering back into position. Ayn, Sabir, Kesis, and Symat all walk in, taking seats on your side of the table. The prince gives Vikna a smirk and she holds onto your arm, prompting him to frown deeply.

“I'm terribly sorry for my Rook's rude behavior. He's just a bit angry that General Mattis did a job better than he could without destroying a planet.” Radoslav says, apologizing for Bhainen as the Rook looks entirely unamused.

“We're very sorry that we're late. There was a crowd at the spaceport and the blue guard aren't exactly as big as they used to be.” Kesis says with a chuckle.

“Understandable. You're looking as lovely as ever Kesis.” He says. “Have you gotten your...incest tendencies under control since that device was destroyed?”

“Of course.” She says with a smile. “Unless my baby girl has been going around and doing things with her brother or my husband, I'm sure we've gotten ourselves under control.”

“M-mom...” Ayn says, looking away from them both. “That's private...”

“I must say, you've become quite a bit happier since we last met.” Radoslav says with a smile. “I really enjoy your new personality.”

“How has your father been? You've grown since the last time I remember seeing you.” She says with a smile.

“He's been...gone for many years now.” He says, looking off to the side before looking back at her. “Thank you for the compliment though.”

“So, you were saying Kirov Ramenskaya was getting awarded for her valor?” Ayn asks.

“Ah, yes. Thank you for reminding me, princess.” He says with a smile. “Now, I will give you about 3 days to prepare yourself. Make sure to have your fur groomed, not smell like pheromones, and have your new uniform prepared. That dreadful little coat you've been wearing almost makes me want to let you borrow one of my bath robes. It'd look more official than that old trash you've been wearing. What is that, a dress from '53?”

“Y-yes your excellency.” She says, covering herself up a bit. “I-I don't have a lot of uniforms and my others were in the wash when you called me here.”

“We'll have to fix that.” He says. “Of course, it will be first class due to the heroism and bravery you displayed while not only helping me escape, but the service you've performed throughout the war.”

“First class?” Bhainen asks, more than a little irritated by now. “After I pacified the Garani cluster and got second class, you're giving a foot soldier a first class OOTE?”

“Yes, I am.” Radoslav says with a bit of a hiss as he looks back at Bhainen. “Will there be a problem?”

He gets up suddenly, growling with his teeth grit. You're up not long after, drawing your NCO sword as his attention turns to you. You feel your body run cold, standing your ground as you feel fear begin to grip you.

“Jack!” Vikna yells with fright.

You're gripping your sword tight in a stance that's nearly instinct to you at this point. The rottweiler growls intensely as Radoslav gets up too, going for a sword of his own. The man looks around and closes his eyes, taking a deep breath.

“You will leave my ship at once Bhainen.” Radoslav says angrily. “If you ever come within 200 yards of me without me ordering you to again I will have you killed. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Emperor.” He says, bowing before leaving the room.

You're about to follow along when you feel your sword stuck in place.

“Do not follow him Jackson.” Radoslav tells you. “He will crush you like a toothpick. Your sword is as flimsy as these chairs.”

You feel a hand on your left arm, looking back to see Vikna shaking her head as Radoslav has his sword pointed at your own. You let go and see the sword do a couple flips before putting itself back in your scabbard. You sit back down and straighten your coat out, taking a breath before letting it come out slowly.

“While I do appreciate you coming to my aid, he has the entirety of our known galaxy's martial arts stored in that ugly implant of his.” Radoslav says, pointing to the back of his own neck. “It would be an unnecessary waste of life.”

You sit back down and see Ayn looking back at you with worry in her eyes as the rest of the room looks around, not knowing who to look at.

“So, back to the task at hand.” Mattis says with a chuckle.

2 hours later

You watch as Mattis leaves the conference room along with the Miyur family, Symat giving you a dirty look before leaving. You get up along with Vikna, giving the Emperor a salute before turning to walk out.

“Wait!” He says. “I need to talk with you two in private.”

You turn around and see Radoslav waving his guards away.

“Are you sure, sire?” One of them asks.

“Yes, I am sure. Now go.” He says, shooing them away.

They bow slightly and leave the room, their armor clinking as they close the door. The Emperor points his finger at the door and it locks, prompting him to lay his head back.

“Jesus, finally.” He says, relaxing a bit. “I hope you don't mind, I'm a bit tired right now and don't feel like acting all royal.”

“Y-your majesty-”

“Call me Radoslav, Vikna.” He says with an eye roll. “Forget that I'm the Emperor for a bit and talk to me like I'm just a normal guy.”

You look back and see Vikna has her jaw dropped open in surprise. You close it for her and she shakes her head.

“I-I'm confused.” She says.

“I see that. Jackson here has already seen me like this once before, it takes a lot to make me tired enough to stop being a pompous prick.” He says. “Sorry about that by the way. Nobody will respect me if I don't lay down the law hard. I'm sure you've noticed my...severe lack of height.”

“I...”

“That's a rhetorical question. Of course you have. Everyone knows it, they just don't say anything because they know the next step afterwards is death.” He says. “I've been doing my best to cut back on the ruthlessness, since I don't like people looking at me like I'm going to snap their necks. I want them to see me as someone they can trust. A figure to be looked up to rather than feared. Yes, the irony of that statement is not lost on me.”

You sit back down in the chair and see Vikna is unsure how to react, but you pat her on the back.

“That is not the only reason I wanted you to stay.” He says, getting up from his throne and walking over to sit beside you. “I wanted to say sorry.”

“For what your-Radoslav?” She asks apprehensively.

“For hurting you nearly a year ago.” He says with a smile. “I appreciate you forgetting, but I do not forget so easily. I was having an exceptionally bad day that day and wanted to say I'm sorry.”

“I...thank you.” Vikna says with a bit of a smile. “It means the world coming from you.”

“Now that this whole thing is out of the way. I need to tell you that you can not beat Bhainen without that suit of yours. You know the one I'm talking about.” He says with a knowing smile. “I was informed first thing by the BST unit.”

“You don't want it?” You ask.

“No, we have no need for it. The augmentations we have in place are more than adequate.” He says. “However, I have a feeling Bhainen may try to spark another revolution if he is kept unchecked. I trust that the information that is said in this room will not be leaked?”

“Let me check for something really quick.” You say, getting up.

You move over to the seat Bhainen was seated at, looking around for anything that may be considered a tap. When you look under the table, you see a small suction cup with a wire running out from it. You pull it out and walk back over to the two, Radoslav giving Vikna a friendly and borderline creepy smile as she looks away, blushing. You set the device on the table and Radoslav laughs.

“That's cute Bhainen. Deactivate jammers.” He says with a smile. “I do not appreciate being tapped my friend. This is your final warning. Activate jammers.”

Radoslav moves his fingers around, crushing the device before flicking it away.

“I will send someone after him. There will be no corner of the galaxy that will be safe for him.” He says before leaning back in the chair. “I heard you two got married.”

“Yeah, we did.” You reply.

“I can't say that I'm not disappointed. I did enjoy our little sessions, but I'm not the kind of man who will get between a man and his wife. Especially when said man could snap me in half.” Radoslav tells you before smiling. “Of course, I'm all for being your little power-bottom if you so choose~.”

“Sorry, sir. I don't really roll that way.” You tell him. “I do appreciate the offer though.”

You feel a slap on the back of your head and look around, seeing Vikna giving you a lethal glare.

“You don't just deny something like that from the Emperor!” Vikna yells. “He could snap his fingers and ice us without another word!”

“Please, Vikna, calm down.” He says with a chuckle. “You severely underestimate my capacity for understanding. Not everyone can be so accepting of new experiences like we are.”

She blushes a bit, sitting back in her seat.

“I-I'm sorry my Emperor.” She says.

“You just can not relax, can you?” He asks. “Well, if you want to be formal, I can put in a bit of extra effort, just for you.”

He walks back to the throne and sits up straight, adjusting his robes until they looked much more presentable.

“Kirov, please stand.” Radoslav says, pulling his hair back a bit. “Android V-1 to V-4, exit your bays.”

You see 4 bays open up along the length of the room, 3 clothed and 1 naked anthroid stepping out. The naked one smirks at Radoslav, all 4 of them bowing to him before turning toward you.

“V-2, dress yourself for a Network broadcast!” Radoslav yells with a bit of urgency. “God woman, I know you're built to please, but I can't have an erection on galactic holo-screens.”

The naked fox nods, walking back to her bay before it closes, opening again with a fresh pair of clothes.

“What are we doing, your grace?” Vikna asks.

“We're presenting you with the award right now.” He says. “V-3, print some clothing that's fitting for the Kirov's new rank.”

The skunk anthroid nods, walking over to what you now realize are bays instead of design choices.

“Kirov, please strip yourself of those rags.” He says.

Vikna immediately strips herself down to her blue bra and panties, causing her to blush.

“You could've asked for a privacy screen, but I appreciate your urgency.” He says with a smile. “I hope you're enjoying the show Jackson. Your wife is a beautiful woman.”

The anthroid labeled V-3 makes her way over to Vikna, holding up some pants and a massive robe, much longer than her former robes she was wearing. Vikna was basically just wearing a trench coat with some fuzz on it before this. Vikna takes the tank top first, putting it on before the slightly thicker looking tank top. When she does this, she pulls the pants on, nearly falling as the anthroid catches her. Radoslav chuckles at this and you can't help but smile at her blush.

“If you need to slow down, we have all day. The sash and medal aren't going to fade away if you don't hurry.” He says with a smile.

She nods, continuing to pull up the pants before stuffing her tail inside. You hear a couple cracks and her face tenses up before relaxing. Did she just crack her tail? She slips the boots on and you hear a couple of whirs, the zippers going up the boot before clicking into place. She pulls the black cuffs over her boots before looking up at you with a smile, taking the robe carefully from the anthroid.

“I-I've never had a white collar before.” She says with an apprehensive smile. “It's so soft.”

She rubs the collar a bit before unzipping it, doing the same with the robe before pulling the two pieces apart. When she dons the robes, you see her shudder a bit as she zips the collar and robe closed. She gives Radoslav the odd left handed salute and he laughs.

“That's the old salute Kirov, please use the right handed salute.” He says before she hurriedly switches hands.

“I apologize your excellency!” She says, bowing.

“Come forward.” He says. “V-5, bring down the groomer.”

A ring detaches from the ceiling and floats over to Radoslav before he points at Vikna, who's now standing beside the Emperor. It brings itself down on Vikna and she shudders a bit, moaning as it runs itself over her. When it reaches her crotch, she yelps, looking down at the ring before blushing a bit.

“Don't get flustered Kirov. It will ruin your fur again.” He tells her before the ring lifts itself up. “The camera will play a pre-recorded message alongside a computer generated background. Every winner of the Order of the Emperor knows the whole thing is just an act, so try not to move about too much. Podium and camera.”

The throne moves with Radoslav on it, a podium popping up as Vikna is lowered a bit. This startles her as she nearly loses her footing, managing to stay upright by using her tail as a support. The camera comes down and Radoslav looks at you, waving you up.

“Come up here. The program will add you into the scene if you sit in the seat closest to the Kirov.”

You do as you're told, making your way to the front of the conference room before sitting down. Vikna is staring straight ahead, past the camera as the Emperor stands there, not moving a muscle as he holds a red, blue, white, and black sash in his hands.

20 minutes later

You watch Radoslav continue to stand as still as a statue, the only movement coming from him blinking and breathing. You see a light blink on the camera and he clears his throat, making his way over to Vikna. He wraps the sash over her shoulder and takes a medal from the sash, putting it around her collar. He pats her on the back and whispers something into her ear, offering her a hand. She takes it and you begin clapping, the other AI in the room following suit as she shakes hands with Radoslav. They both wave around the room as if there's a large crowd before the camera slowly pans up, before floating back to its original place.

“This will air after a few days have been given for the editors to go through and correct any mistakes and make everything look more realistic.” He says. “I've never had anyone clap for the ceremony. Hopefully this will emphasize the fact that Kirov Ramenskaya is the youngest person and the only female to receive a first class Order of the Emperor.”

“That's great!” You say, getting up. “I'm so proud of you Vikna.”

“Thanks...” She says, her face going red. “Your majesty, if I may ask, why didn't we wait until the date you specified?”

“That date was just to throw everyone off. We needed time to finish the CGI and all of the facial work needed to make my lips move.” He replies. “If you ask one of my guards, he'll probably remember the room I booked for both of you aboard my new ship. The suite is marvelous. Every room aboard this vessel is one I'd sleep in if my room wasn't taken. Speaking of sleep...”

“Thank you sire.” Vikna says, bowing to Radoslav. “May we take our leave.”

“Yes, you may.” He says, getting back into character. “I trust my little break in character will go under the radar.”

He gives Vikna a wink and she blushes a bit, the door unlocking and opening as the two of you exit. When the door closes behind you, Ayn is sitting with Kesis and Sabir, all waiting patiently in chairs. When they look up and see you both exit, Ayn runs over to Vikna.

“He gave you the award right now?!” She asks. “How did it go?”

“It went great. Radoslav was...really terrifying, but I made it through because I'm just that much of a bad ass.” Vikna replies.

“Hey, where's our room?” You ask one of the guards.

“23-J.” They reply.

“You're staying?” Ayn asks. “Aren't you scared?”

“I've got Jack to protect me.” She says. “Plus, I'm not completely defenseless.”

“There you are, you beautiful bastard.” You hear come from the left. “How the hell are you doing, son?”

“I-I'm doing fine, sir.” You reply, standing at attention.

“As you were.” He says. “Congratulations on your promotion, uh, Kirov.”

“Thank you, sir.” She replies.

“Well, if that Bhainen character decides to show his head, we'll get the Navy involved and sink his ass to the bottom of the endless black sea.” Mattis says. “Don't you worry miss, we'll make sure that asshole doesn't stink up any more sections of space with his verbal diarrhea.”

“Thank you, sir.” She says. “We should probably move and let the Emperor's guards back in.”

You both move and the guards move into the conference room, allowing you both to make your way out of the reception area.

1 hour later

You finally find deck J, being on the highest floor of the ship and also being unmarked on the elevator, the only reason being that you found it was because you asked where it was. This revealed a keypad and a scanner to you, which were hidden before. When you both arrive, you feel the elevator begin moving horizontally, which surprises both you and Vikna. You typed in 23-J and it's counting up numbers as you continue to move sideways at a decent speed. When you stop, the elevator opens up to an extravagantly decorated room with purple, white, and gold adorning just about everything. A large IH Kaltag logo is sitting above a mini bar, being manned by...ARA?

“ARA?” You ask.

“Hmm? Oh! Mister Jackson!” She says with a smile. “I was asked to come aboard and serve drinks, though I'm not too sure what made the Emperor decide I was the best fit. I will not complain though, since they have K2 class charging ports here. I can go from no charge to full charge in less than ten minutes! The bandwidth is to, as you say, 'die for'.”

“That's great ARA. Mind passing me some whiskey?” You ask, making your way to the bar. “Also, you may want to leave after we're done drinking. I have...plans for my wife over here.”

“J-Jack!” She stutters in surprise. “Don't tell her, she'll tell everyone!”

“I will make haste. Your personal butler anthroid is inside the wall here if you wish for more when I'm gone.” She says, unplugging herself from the cable. “These K2 ports are so much nicer than the regular ports I'm stuck to all day.”

“Well, that's good.” You tell her. “You don't have to leave right now, you can stay until everything kicks off.”

“I see.” She says, plugging her tail back into the wall with a shudder. “I must see about getting a K2 class port at my work stations.”

You take a seat at the mini bar and ARA brings up a bottle of...something. She uncaps it and brings up two glasses, setting them down on the table and they, surprisingly, don't float. When Vikna sits down next to you, ARA looks up with surprise.

“The Order of the Emperor?!” She asks, backing up. “Miss Vikna, according to my records, you are the youngest person and only female in the history of the award!”

ARA then bows to Vikna, which makes her giggle.

“You don't have to bow to me.” Vikna says.

“It is a first class, miss Vikna, of course I must bow to you.” She says. “The only one who isn't highly recommended to bow is the Emperor!”

“Well, you can make an exception for me.” Vikna tells her. “We're friends after all.”

“You're right, thank you miss Vikna.” She says with a smile. “Mister Jackson, I took a sample from the ground when one of the Nytro anthroids smashed your bottle against the ground. I had them remake whatever was in the bottle and I'm impressed by the alcohol volume. It was 114 proof if I remember correctly.”

“That's right. I switched out the whiskey inside the bottle for something stronger. It was supposed to be used to clean wounds, but I use it to drink too.” You tell her.

“Would you like me to, uh, pour you a shot as they say?” She asks with a smile. “I'm not allowed to drink alcohol after my first time.”

“You should've seen her.” Vikna says with a smirk. “She was yelling and shouting about bit rates on her old tail and how she would be so much more efficient if she was given a spine and tail as efficient as Zetas hair.”

“Miss Vikna...” ARA says, filling a shot glass with the liquid.

“She also said she hated Nytro. Her momentum even managed to carry her fist into his face before her blocks could stop her. Then Nytro-”

“Miss Vikna!” ARA yells. “Here are your drinks!”

She practically throws the shots forward, spilling most of it on the counter. ARA is holding the bottle with an iron grip, said bottle shaking like a leaf.

“I think we should leave it Vikna.” You say, putting a hand on her shoulder.

“I...okay?” She asks. “Pour us another drink then.”

“Yes miss Vikna!” ARA says excitedly, pouring more into the shot glasses.

She pours both of you another shot and you take it on your own, slamming it back before swallowing. This was the kind of shit you liked drinking. Vikna chuckles before bursting into a laugh. She takes the liquid and smiles, sniffing it and looking back at you.

“This doesn't smell like 114 proof.” She says with a smirk. “I can't wait to taste your lies.”

She slams the shot down and her expression immediately changes, eyes going wide before spitting it back out. She wipes off her tongue as she sets the shot down, the liquid back in the glass as ARA cringes at it. She grabs the shot glass with a napkin and throws the entire glass away, pulling up a new one.

“FUCK!” She screams out. “THAT BURNS!”

“I told you, I don't like shitty vatnik fuel.” You tell her, holding out your shot for ARA, who's smiling. “I like good old fashioned Irish whiskey.”

“This isn't whiskey, it's rat poison!” She yells.

“Miss Vikna, I can confirm it is not rat poison-”

“I know it's not rat poison!” Vikna interrupts. “This stuff burns more than Zofie's chili!”

“This I can agree with.” ARA says with a smile. “She lights it on fire every time she makes it.”

You nod and slam the shot back that ARA filled, deciding that this will be enough for right now.

“I-I just want some vodka please.” Vikna says.

2 hours later

You've finally stripped out of your uniform by now, ARA having left an hour ago as Vikna still refuses to rub against you. She's either mad at you, or there's something wrong. When she steps out of the bathroom with only a bra on, you know exactly what time it is. She told you to take something called “sober up” so you wouldn't forget what she was about to do.

“They have a groomer in the bathroom.” She says with a smile. “You know what that means?”

She makes he way over to you and sits down beside you, brushing her tail up against your cheek. It felt just like...

“Leena?” You ask, grabbing her tail.

“What? No!” She yells, pulling her tail away from your grasp. “I'm Vikna!”

You get up, making your way to the bathroom. There was nothing there except Viknas uniform and her blue panties. You look back and see your kitty looking very upset as you make your way back to the bedside.

“Sorry, I just thought-”

Before you could say anything more, she basically jumps on you, wrapping your body in softness you can't describe with words. All you can do is hug her back, nearly collapsing as she begins purring.

“Let's go lay down before you collapse.” She says, letting go and pushing your arms away. “What is it with you and soft things anyway? I've never met a guy who's as interested in it as you.”

“I don't know.” You reply, making your way to the king size bed.

“Well, the groomer inside makes all fur more lush and soft than anyone outside of professional groomers can achieve.” She tells you, sitting back down on the bed again. “I don't usually have the money for either, so it's really nice to be able to at least experience the second best grooming in the galaxy. It makes me feel special.”

You sit down beside Vikna and she smiles, pulling you down on the bed as she weasels the bed sheets from underneath you both. You decide to lend her a hand, pulling the sheets over you both before she wraps her body around you. It feels like you're being hugged by a fuzzy pillow. You didn't feel like ruining her fur with sex tonight, since her fur was too soft and silky smooth to be ruined by your sweat and baby batter.

“You'll always be special to me.” You tell her.

“You're so sweet.” She says as you feel her bra slide down your chest. “I've been talking to Ayn and she tells me you love these things. Do you want to do it?”

“I couldn't mess up your fur after you just had it groomed.” You reply. “I just want to lay down and cuddle for now.”

She nods and pushes herself down, putting her head underneath yours before beginning to purr.

“How'd a guy like me end up with a girl like you?” You ask.

“Rephrase that.” She says with irritation, putting her claws on your chest. “Right now.”

“I must've switched it around. I meant to say, how'd a girl like you end up with a guy like me?” You correct. “Sorry, you know I'm bad at thinking on the spot.”

“I'm joking.” She says with a giggle, her claws retracting. “I knew what you meant. You just had the tone and order mixed up. It's a sad day when a native Common speaker has to be given lessons from a native Katrician speaker.”

“To be fair, I don't speak Common, I speak neutered English.” You tell her with a smile.

She chuckles at that and licks your chest a few times, cooing when she stops.

“How did I fall for you?” She asks, looking up at you with a smirk. “That's an interesting question. Maybe it's because you're hot and I'm hotter? Maybe it's because we click? Maybe it's because you have a fetish for anthro girls and I have a fetish for humans now? The world may never know.”

“All that matters now is the war is over now. We can finally have that family we've both been dreaming of.” You reply. “Remember when you didn't want anything to do with children?”

“Y-yes...” Vikna replies, burying her head in your chest as her cheeks heat up. “I guess I didn't meet the right person yet.”

“God, you're so fucking cute.” You say, rubbing her back gently as she begins to purr, tail rubbing up and down your leg.

“S-stop it...” She says. “You're cute too.”

You smile at that, holding her close. You feel the warm embrace of sleep coming to greet you as Vikna begins purring, holding her arms around you before you finally fall unconscious.

5 days later

You're sitting on a couch, watching some TV with Nytro as Vikna continues to dress herself in the bathroom. The war was officially over, Al'Suwari being dead and Bhainen imprisoned in a surprisingly short amount of time. Zofie was sitting next to him, her boyfriend and soon to be fiance Dell sitting next to her. Zofie still wasn't sure what to think of you, but she apologized for her outburst. She had even won a medal for bravery in the face of certain death when she rescued some children from a burning building. She still had some singed fur from the action, which made you proud as anyone can be.

Nytro was due to be awarded a whole host of medals for his actions on Siania and in service with the United States. One of these medals was a Law Enforcement Medal of Valor, which was for his outstanding bravery and heroism in a foreign land. He said he didn't really want it, even though it'd get him laid every night if he took it, but it wasn't really his choice whether he was given it or not. Another was a Bronze Star from Mattis himself, having seen Nytro go to work on the 50 during a battle where Mattis was planet side. Ayn and Nytro were both awarded the President's Volunteer Service Award, which was pretty nice to watch him squirm on stage. He was also awarded something called the Serkonian Meritous Service Cross, which was on the same scale as a Silver Star for some of his previous actions on Serko, Katric, and Siania.

Ayn was sitting on a chair, having gone back to her usual slutty looking dresses for the parade. Luckily, she was wearing panties and an actual bra underneath, which seemed like it made her already large assets even larger and more firm looking. You could see her watching you out of the corner of your eye, smiling as you straighten your dress blues out a bit. She hadn't really been awarded anything for bravery in combat outside of the volunteer medal the President awarded her, but she said the only thing she needed was her people to be safe.

Vikna was still getting herself ready, having become one of the Katrician Navy's poster children since she had won the highest honor in this quarter of the galaxy. It was shaping up to be her dream and worst nightmare all rolled up into one. They, of course, allowed her to take that leave thing she talked about at the party after your Medal of Honor ceremony, but she would be called back in if the Emperor decided it was necessary. You told her you wouldn't let that happen until your kid was old enough to vote, but she still had her doubts. When she comes out of the bathroom, you see her in the Kirov dress uniform with the Order of the Emperor sitting proudly around her neck.

“Do I look good enough for the parade?” She asks.

You get up, walking over to her and smoothing over her dress a bit before zipping her collar down. She responds by fixing your own collar, tightening your loose belt as well as checking your sword was sheathed completely.

“You look beautiful.” You tell her, scratching behind her ear.

“Thanks. You get that new sword yet?” She asks.

“Yep. Same material as the sword I gave Nytro. I'd like to see anyone break this one.” You say, having made sure to polish it to a shine the day before. “Speaking of which, have you chipped any more roofs with that sword?”

“No, I've resided to practicing on bamboo and thatch targets like my ancestors did.” He tells you. “I've actually gotten a bit faster since we last sparred. I'd be up for it if you feel like having a go.”

“Not in my blues.” You tell him. “Maybe some other time.”

He nods and everyone in the room gets up, prompting you to look over them. Nytro had his collar for his law enforcer uniform flipped up, which you flipped back down and straightened out. Zofie had a few buttons unbuttoned, which you quickly fix as she wags her tail a bit. Dell's suit had a few strands of fur on it, as well as his tie being tied incorrectly.

“I can't tie your tie, ask Vikna.” You say, moving over to Ayn. “I don't know how I could fix your dress without adding things to it.”

“You're not going to at least try?” She asks with a smile.

“No.” You reply simply, walking back to Vikna. “Alright children, let's go meet up with our chauffeurs.”

“I'm older than you though.” Nytro tells you.

“For now.” You tell him.

“Whatever.” He says with an eye roll. “Let's get moving.”

1 hour later

You're sitting in the back of a float with 4 other officers of the Katrician navy. There's a Vice-Kirov, a Kirov, a Varhand, and a Commander. Vikna is standing beside the Vice-Kirov, who's looking over at her every now and again. He was a porcupine who had a few scars around both his eyes. He also looked like he had his quills pulled out and replaced with fur instead. When he sees you looking, he furrows his brow and looks away in disgust. You chuckle at that and look off to the side, watching as you pass by some buildings. The Varhand skunk looks at you and clears her throat.

“Get up Gunnery Sergeant.” She tells you. “We're almost to the parade area.”

“Aye, ma'am.” You say, getting up and straightening your uniform up before standing next to Vikna. “You look nice.”

“Thank you.” Vikna and the skunk say, looking at each other before looking forward.

When you turn the corner, you see people lining up and down the streets, holding American, Katrician, Serkonian, and Sianian flags. The begin cheering as you come around the corner and you begin smiling and waving. There were a few humans in the crowd, some of which wore uniforms from their various countries while others just wore normal Katrician clothing. The float moves along, a miniaturized statue of you raising the flag on that APC sitting behind you as everyone begins throwing confetti and flower petals at the float. You pass by a man in Marine blues, a Private, who gives you a crisp salute.

“I joined the Marines because of you!” He yells over the crowd with a smile.

“You'll regret it in a few years!” You yell back, giving him a salute back.

He returns back to the position of attention and you chuckle.

“Bend your knees a bit too or you'll pass out!” You yell before looking down at the crowd.

“That's improper.” The Vice-Kirov says to you.

“That is an astute observation, sir.” You tell him, continuing to smile and wave.

“Do not mock me, insect.” He says.

“Yes, sir!” You say, continuing to smile and wave.

You pass by a few girls and see them grab their shirts, pulling them up and flashing you. It makes your cheeks go red and you chuckle nervously, seeing Vikna is entirely not amused with them. After you pass them, she flicks you with her tail and you look over at her, shaking your head. She nods, looking forward as you continue to be the only one on the float waving and smiling at people. You can understand why, it just seems a bit cold to do this to people who have been looking to you for hope the entire war. When you look back, you see the float Nytro and Zofie were on, a small statue of Ayn, Vikna, and Nytro standing on a rock as the statue of Ayn holds the Sianian flag high. Ayn was, of course, on top of the statue and hanging from the flag pole with a smile.

When you're about half way down the road, a few men toss some cans at you, which you catch. They were beer cans, fully sealed and ready to drink. You'd have to drink them later, as you were on duty right now. There's a few men in the crowd who have been following you throughout the entire parade, giving you glances every now and again as they fiddle with their pockets whenever you smile and wave. You've been keeping a close eye on them, unable to say anything without drawing suspicion and driving them away. One of the men begins fiddling with his pockets again and you wave at him, prompting him to pull something out of his pocket. He brings his other hand to the thing he brought out of his pocket and you realize exactly what he's going to do. He throws what you assume is a grenade and you see it sailing through the air, making your eyes go wide. When it comes within reach, you see it's definitely an old Russian grenade, catching it as the world begins to slow to a crawl. You needed to think fast.

“GRENADE!” You yell out as you begin man handling the fuse.

Vikna looks over and sees you holding a grenade and she begins pushing the other officers back as you unscrew the top of the grenade with brute force. Your strength is more than enough to break the shitty welds as you unscrew the grenade, the body falling off as you toss the fuze as hard as you can into the air. It blows soon after, making a loud pop as time returns to normal. You look back at Vikna and see the officers looking on in shock as you see the man who through it has ran away by now.

“You okay?!” You ask. “Is everyone okay?!”

“I'm fine!” Vikna yells as you look down the way, seeing a large group of people beating down on someone.

You look down at the crowd, who are still cheering and waving flags. You put the deactivated grenade in your pocket and look back at the float behind you, seeing Ayn and Nytro looking back with curiosity. You pull out the grenade again and you can see the surprise on their face as you stuff it back in your pocket, the crowd going wild as soon as they see the chunk of explosive steel. You look back and see a few of the men and women Vikna pushed over standing back up, dusting themselves off. You continue waving at the men and women who weren't trying to throw grenades at you.

1 day later

You were standing at the top of the Tower, saying goodbye to all your friends. You wouldn't be seeing them for a couple months while you settled into a civilian life with Vikna. She was officially off duty until called upon, which meant she was able to live off world with you unless a galactic emergency required her return. This basically meant she was retired unless she wanted to come back. You see ARA making her way toward you and smile, seeing her hold out a hand.

“I do not wish to hug you, but I do wish to say goodbye in a formal manner. So, goodbye!” She says, smiling.

You take her hand and shake it firmly, seeing Ayn come up last.

“You two be good. We'll be there 2 days before the big day.” She tells you with a smile. “The heat medication Vikna took should last until the day after the wedding, so don't take that stuff until a day after her heat is good and ready. Will you be able to remember that?”

“I will. Thanks Ayn.” You say.

She pulls you into a hug and squeezes you hard, actually feeling like she was going to break your bones. You grunt a bit and she lets go, giving you a smirk. Fluff comes up to you and gives you a warm smile, holding out his feathery hand as you take it. You shake firmly and he lets go.

“I'm still not sure if I'll come in either form, since I don't want to draw suspicion, but I will give it some serious consideration. You're...marrying...one of my characters after all.” He says with a bit of a pause.

“The cringe isn't lost on me dude.” You tell him. “However, I love who I love and nothing is going to change that.”

“Alright.” He says, opening up a portal. “Go on through. It'll be a bit less than a month for us. Have a good...rest of your life?”

“Yeah, you too.” You tell him.

You're about to step through when he grabs your shoulder.

“Wait, I almost forgot.” He says. “Thanks for staying.”

“Thanks for stopping me from pulling the trigger.” You tell him. “I think we're even.”

“I'll say.” He says. “Don't be a stranger and call if she gives you any trouble.”

“H-hey!” Vikna yells. “Watch it!”

You laugh, stepping through the portal and onto the driveway. Your bag is sitting next to you as Vikna comes through as well, prompting you to turn around. You wave, seeing everyone wave back before it closes off, leaving you back where you started. When you turn back to Vikna, she has her bag over her shoulders, trying to pick yours up.

“No, give me that.” You say, taking her bag and her own.

“I can carry my own bag.” She says, crossing her arms.

“Yeah, but you won't.” You tell her, hefting the bags up on your shoulders. “Let's go and get something to eat.”

1 hour later

“So, the first thing we eat when we get back from a war is fast food?” She asks.

“I've made it a point that every time I get back from a tour, I eat a burger from this restaurant.” You tell her. “You may think it's shitty food, but not all of us could eat at the officers mess every day.”

“I invited you along.” She says. “Where'd your mother go anyway? She wasn't there when we came back.”

“She must've gone to the store or left me again. I don't know any more.” You reply. “I've been thinking about getting an apartment somewhere. I don't like the bugs and it's been getting annoying having to deal with ants and flies.”

“At least all the fleas and ticks are gone.” She says with a shiver. “The one thing we gave your planet that you desperately needed was a parasite bomb. I only learned about them in school and their bodies still give me the creeps.”

“We actually had them for a while. Almost two years before I finally caved and got treatment for them.” You tell her.

“Is that what all those dots are on your back?” She asks. “I just assumed they were scars from battle.”

“Well, it was a battle against fleas.” You tell her with a smile. “Heated the entire house to over a 140 degrees for about five or six hours before they all died. Eggs and all.”

“When we find any survivors, we parasite bomb the entire planet again just to be sure. It kills the fleas and any other parasites that may have come in from another planet, as well as most of us having nanites for the express purpose of killing fleas.” She says.

“Wish I had those.” You tell her.

“You do now.” She says with a giggle. “You have some sauce on your face.”

She wipes it off your face and sticks it in her mouth, smiling as you both continue to eat. When you continue scrolling down on your earpiece, you see an apartment you like and nod. It opens up the rates and you see some decently priced apartments that have quite a bit of space. You choose one that has 2 bedrooms so you could set up an office and VR room in one and share a bedroom with Vikna in the other. It was about 2600 dollars a month, but it was nothing you couldn't handle with your pay. It also happened to be closer to your garrison down in Battle Creek and even closer to a therapist specializing in PTSD. Plus, you were the first ones to book there, as the price was too high for most in the area to afford. This was great, as you were probably going to have lots of rough and loud sex inside the apartment.

“What did you find?” She asks.

“2 bed and 1 bath. I'll have to take the bed out to make room for my office, but it'll do for now.” You reply. “We're the first ones to book in the building too, so we can have as much...well...you know.”

“I don't like the price on it though.” She says, having already data linked to her. “Over two and a half grand for an apartment we're only going to be living in for maybe a year?”

“It's better than the Marine Corps housing they were going to provide me with.” You tell her. “Shit smells like alcohol and ball sweat.”

“I don't think I'd mind that.” She says with a smile. “Sounds like my first posting.”

“Speaking of posting, did you guys ever have an epidemic with inter-crew bonding?” You ask.

“We didn't really care, as long as it didn't effect their performance. I had a couple flings aboard my first vessel as well as one that almost turned into a relationship before...well...he wasn't the right fit is all I'm going to say here.” She replies, looking a bit sad.

You reach across the table and put a hand on her shoulder, making her look up and smile.

“Want to talk about it in the car?” You ask, taking the last bite of your sandwich before chewing and swallowing it in a hurry.

“Y-yes.” She says. “I've been meaning to tell someone, but I didn't want to look like I'm weak.”

“As if they'd think that.” You tell her. “I know better than that.”

You get up and leave your tray at the table, not wanting to bother taking care of it as Vikna grabs onto your hand. She grasps it gently and pulls her head onto your shoulder, smiling gently as you both make your way to the door. When you leave the area, you see a man walking up to you with an angry look on his face.

“Name, rank, and serial number!” He yells.

“Vikna, go wait in the car.” You tell her.

“Don't hurt him.” She says as the man gets his phone out.

“I won't.” You reply, smiling for the camera. “Gunnery Sergeant Jackson Haigs, seven two seven nine three one.”

He takes out another phone and begins tapping something into the phone and looks back at you.

“You're lying!” He yells. “My brother died in that uniform! You have no right to impersonate a Marine like that!”

“He died on parade duty?” You ask. “What was his name?”

“That's not important! You're impersonating a Marine and wearing a medal you didn't earn!” He continues yelling. “Show me your ID!”

You nod, taking out your wallet and taking out your military ID. He snatches it from your hands and puts his phone up to it, which prompts you to take it back.

“You're not keeping a picture of my ID on your phone.” You tell him, stuffing it back in your wallet.

You pull up your video of the President putting the medal around your neck and project it to him, his eyes going wide in surprise.

“No...there's no way.” He says.

“Please. I just want to go back and talk with my wife. She's dealing with some tough stuff right now and I want to comfort her.” You tell him. “Stop trying to make internet drama and leave me alone.”

He gets out of your way and you make your way back to the Mustang you rode in on, pulling the keys out and opening your car. When you step inside, you see Vikna already has tears in her eyes.

“I'm sorry, that wasn't too much, was it?” You ask.

“N-no, it's about my old first officer.” She replies shakily as you close the door. “He...tried to murder me.”

“He what?!” You ask, gripping the keys so hard your hands begin shaking. “Where is he? I'll kick his ass!”

“He's dead Jack. He's been dead for years.” She says, pulling her shirt up as you start the car. “He...he stabbed me in the back. I still have a scar hidden under my fur from where he got me.”

You rub her fur out of the way, causing her to purr unsteadily as she shivers. When you part her back fur a certain way, you see a small scar right next to her spine right behind her lung and about an inch from her heart.

“Does it hurt?” You ask.

“It hasn't hurt for five years.” She replies.

You rub against it and feel her smooth skin before covering it back up, smiling as you stroke her back gently.

“I loved him so much...” She says. “I loved him almost as much as I love you. He was so helpful and kind. He even knew where the enemy was before we even jumped into the system. I gave my body to him multiple times and we went on dates when we were planet side. He asked me to come to the bridge alone a few times, building my trust up until he finally stabbed me. I was lucky I had a cold when I did, because I sneezed right as he stabbed me and it missed my heart by less than an inch.”

“Are you okay now?” You ask her.

“I'm fine, thank you.” She replies with a smile before you see a few tears begin to well up in her eyes. “When I turned around with the knife still in my back, he...he had no remorse. There was just a blank stare...like everything we had done didn't even matter.”

You wipe away her tears with your gloved hand, pulling a napkin from the glove box for her to use.

“I felt so betrayed. He tried to rush me and finish the job, but I froze him before he could touch me.” She says, looking out the window. “I asked him why. I asked him how he could do this to me. How I could give him everything and he just stabs me in the back! He said he never really loved me and the sex was just a perk of the job. It all compounded with Radoslav and I couldn't even hold a relationship for more than a few weeks before I began to push them away. Everyone began accusing me of sleeping with other officers for ranks and I JUST COULDN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!”

She slams her fist down onto the dash and begins sobbing for a bit before you look up, seeing the man who was filming you before walking into the Arby's you came out of. She pulls on your arm, wanting to cuddle with it. You pull her to you, holding her tight as she grasps to the fabric of your uniform.

“I will never do that to you Vikna. I will never ever do something like that as long as I live. I don't have anything more than my word to offer right now, but I'll prove it to you. I'll love you till the end of time and then some. I'll go to hell and back for you and I will NEVER hurt you. I swear on my life I'll never hurt you. I'd sooner die than do anything like that to you.” You tell her, stroking her hair with a shaking hand. “Nobody will ever hurt you again as long as I live. I love you so much and I couldn't live with myself if anyone hurt you like this.”

You both sit there like that for a while, the low rumble of the engine being the only noise you hear as you hold Vikna close. When she finally stops sniffling, you let her go, feeling her do the same as she sits back down in the seat beside you.

“I hope you don't mean that.” Vikna says, wiping her eyes.

“Mean what?” You ask.

“The hurting thing.” She says. “How else are you going to slap my ass when we do it?”

You chuckle at that and shift into first gear.

“God I love you so much.” You say, pulling out of the parking lot.


	16. Chapter 15: Wonderful world

2 weeks Rishan time later

Nytro

Peace was such a weird thing to have now. Bhainen was in a maximum security prison while the leader of the terrorist cell was dead, Separationist attacks decreasing dramatically due to it. In fact, they became non-existent, making your job much easier. Even if you did miss dispensing justice to bad guys on the regular, it was so much nicer to sit back and relax in your little apartment. Hopefully Spots was enjoying the reprieve too, since she wasn't exactly cowering in fear when Liertz was threatened. You hear a knock on the door and get up, walking toward it before opening it up.

“Hello.” Zofie says, looking up at you with a smile. “I came to see if you wanted to hang out.”

“Sure, I can spare some time to hang out with a friend.” You say with a smile.

“No sex though.” She says. “I'm in a relationship, remember?”

“I know I know.” You reply, a bit disappointed. “So, what's up Spots?”

“I guess it's just the fact that it's all over.” She replies, entering your slightly messy apartment. “I'm at a loss as to what I should do.”

“Go back to working your shop full time.” You tell her.

“It's a bakery.” She tells you.

“Right, a bakery.” You say.

“I'm sorry, I'm just a bit high strung from Dell asking me to come over all day. I just don't feel like going over and doing it with him right now.” She apologizes. “He has two hands, he can use them.”

“That's harsh.” You tell her, knowing exactly how it feels to be told that.

You lead her back to the small couch she has a duplicate of in her room, sitting down on it as you turn on the holo-screen. It's playing a game of football and you smile, having not watched a game since Jack came on leave. He called it soccer, but everyone calls what he knows as football, rugby. Speaking of him, it kind of pains you to say that you kind of miss the asshole. Despite how much you disliked what he did, you can't really argue that he played a major roll in quite a few key battles. It'll never make up for what he did to the stability of an entire country, but there wasn't really an issue now that everything has been stabilized. 3 months of your life that you'll never get back just to clean up after him. Not to mention that he fucked up on an entirely new level destroying that building. There are procedures for this kind of thing and he just-

“Nytro, your face is tensing up.” Zofie tells you. “You're thinking about Jack again, aren't you?”

“Yes...” You admit, relaxing a bit.

“Remember what I said about worrying about him? Don't do it.” She tells you.

“You know, as much as I don't really like the guy, he did try his best to right his wrongs. Even if he did break the law doing so.” You say. “With all that being said, I kind of miss the guy.”

“Well, why don't we try and call? Maybe Rei might be able to patch us through to him.” She says.

“I'm not calling.” You say, crossing your arms. “If you want to talk to him, you can.”

She pulls out a little phone pen, pressing the top of it and tapping on Reis number. She puts the phone to her ear and waits patiently for it to pick up.

“Hey Rei, it's Zofie. Is it possible to patch me in with Jackson?” She asks. “Thanks!”

She begins wagging her tail a bit and you roll your eyes, smiling at her. She was way too nice to him, especially after the violence he incited the terrorists into. They burned down her shop because he nearly killed all of them! She puts the phone on speaker and you hear Rei talk.

“Alright, time is stabilized and locked.” Rei says. “Go ahead and call Jack.”

The phone hangs up and she dials his number, the phone rings for a bit before he picks up the phone.

“Hello?” The familiar voice of Jack asks.

“Hello herr Jackson!” Zofie says excitedly.

“Hey Zofie, are you back on Earth right now?” He asks.

“No, Rei opened a portal and...uh...linked our realities or something.” She replies.

“Oh, I see. How are you doing?” He asks. “I haven't seen you in about a month.”

“I'm doing great. I moved back into my old apartment because the new one was way too expensive.” She says with a smile. “It's been a long journey to and from work, but Dell has offered to let me live with him.”

“Oh, are you over at his house right now?” Jack asks.

“No, he's been really needy this last week and all he wants to do is...well...you know.” She says, her cheeks going a bit red. “I told him to wait a week and he's been jerking it every day or so.”

“Do you need me to come and talk to him?” He asks.

“No, it's fine, really!” Zofie replies with a worried laugh. “He's not being violent about it, he's just been acting strangely.”

“Have you talked about it with Nytro?” He asks. “I think he's a bit more experienced in that field than I am.”

“I actually have him right here. Do you want to talk with him?” She asks.

“Only if he wants to talk with me. I know he doesn't really like me.” He replies as you can almost hear his understanding smile.

She looks over at you and you sigh.

“What's up Jack?” You ask, rolling your eyes.

“Am I on speaker?!” He asks.

“Yes, Nytro wants to listen in.” Zofie replies with a smile.

“No I don't Spots.” You interject.

“You were just talking about how much you miss him though!” She continues.

“I don't miss him enough to call him!” You tell her.

“Both of you, calm down.” He says with a chuckle. “If I'm really that divisive, I'll hang up.”

“No, I was going to ask you what you were doing!” She says hurriedly.

“Who's on the phone?” A person in the background asks.

“It's Zofie. Say hi Vikna.” He says.

“Hi!” Vikna yells cheerfully.

Jack chuckles, as does Zofie.

“She's been very happy since we moved out of my house.” He says. “Well, my mom's house now. I gave it back when I got this apartment.”

“Really? Why would you move into something smaller?” Zofie asks.

“The house is old and in the middle of nowhere. I don't like having slow internet and I want to be closer to my unit and therapist.” He replies. “Plus, it's not all bad. This apartment is huge. It's like a small town house with how big it is. 2 bedrooms with one being converted into an office with a small folding bed.”

“Don't lie, that's where you play video games!” You hear Vikna yell in the distance.

“Stop it Vikna!” He yells back as she laughs hysterically in the background.

Zofie is laughing too and you can't help but chuckle. After you both finish laughing, Zofie continues.

“You said therapist. What's that about?” She asks.

“Well, does Nytro mind me talking about it? I can still hear myself echoing off the walls.” He says.

“If you don't go in depth and try to make us all feel bad for you, I don't care.” You reply.

“Ignore him.” Zofie replies. “Go on, tell us what's going on.”

“Well, I have...severe PTSD. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It's from all the things I've done way back when as well as all the things I did over there.” He says. “I won't go into detail, but I'm going to be on medication for the rest of my life. I was extremely lucky to be allowed into the reserves, which is why I moved down here. That was a whole ordeal in itself, which is what I've been doing for the past 3 weeks.”

“They let you stay in?” You ask, honestly surprised.

“Yeah, they did.” He replies. “I couldn't believe it either, even though I fought tooth and nail to stay in. I'm only allowed back on the field when there's a draft, which won't happen unless we go to war with china and Russia. God, it seems like such a trivial thing now that most of us have fought in an interplanetary war.”

“Yeah, they said they were shipping 20 exploration and 1 warship over to the countries that participated. There's a battle cruiser going to the United States, an electronic warfare ship is being given to the United Kingdom, and a carrier is being given to Russia.” You say, trying to get off the topic of war. “It's to keep whoever wishes you harm at bay on your galactic adventures.”

“Yeah, I heard about that. Pretty cool.” He tells you.

“Nytro, let him finish before you try to lead him away from a topic.” Zofie says with an unamused look. “Continue saying what you were saying.”

“Oh, uh, yeah.” He says, clearing his throat. “Well, I'm so fucking high right now on anti-depressants and other medication that I couldn't feel sadness if I tried. Therapy is helping a lot and Vikna...well, never mind. I'm doing really well.”

“That's great to hear. How's the wedding coming along?” She asks.

“It's going great. We have a nice spot out by the lake picked out, so make sure to take a swim suit. Once I help everyone clean up and pack up the wedding stuff, we'll go swimming.” He tells her. “Unless you don't want to, it's perfectly fine. Just tell Ayn to take a one piece because I don't want her to wear strings to the beach. We have decency laws here and she'll be arrested.”

“I'll pass the word along.” She says with a laugh.

“You coming Nytro?” He asks you.

“Yeah, sure.” You reply. “Guess I could do it for Blue.”

“Alright, that's the first row filled.” He says. “We'll have a detail coming out to greet you, so don't be alarmed by all the Marines.”

“I'll make sure to keep myself in check.” You say sarcastically.

“God, I can feel your eyes rolling from here.” Jack tells you. “Well, I'll let you go. Vikna got her tail caught under the couch again. See you two.”

“I don't know how it keeps happening!” She yells. “If I had Tau I'd be able to-”

That's all you hear before the call hangs up and you groan, sitting back in your couch.

“Come on Nytro, it wasn't that bad.” Zofie tells you. “You're such a drama queen.”

“I don't like talking to him though. He's such a downer.” You say.

“It won't kill you to listen to him talk every once in a while.” She says like a mother chastising her child. “I'm not his best friend either, but he treats us like we're the most important thing in the world when he's around. Doesn't that make you feel even a little bit grateful?”

“It's the only reason I don't hate him.” You reply. “I thought you were here to talk about you, not him.”

“You brought him up. It's like you have an obsession.” She says. “You could've easily said no and it would've been the end of it. Why do you act all nice to him one second and switch moods the next time you see him? Vikna told me you wanted to have sex with him one minute and the next you were complaining about him answering questions the reporter asked.”

“I said I'd do it on a bet.” You reply, blushing a bit. “I wanted to do it to shut him up once and for all.”

“Sports!” Zofie yells with a blush, pointing to the holo-screen. “Why don't we talk about sports?”

You sigh, returning back to your usual, not angry self.

Jack

You hang the phone up and make your way over to the couch, feeling bad for hanging up so soon. Everything was definitely not fine. Your nightmares were terrifying if Vikna wasn't able to sleep with you. She was great about being there for you, but even then, she had to take care of herself. She took showers before she went to sleep and woke you up once in a crying fit. She said you were screaming and shouting incoherently and trying to strangle a pillow, but you never ever did something like that when she was in your arms. When you make it to her, you lift the couch up with one arm as she pulls her tail out from under the couch, rubbing behind her head.

“Thanks.” She says, chuckling a bit.

“You're welcome.” You tell her, pecking her on the top of the head as her ears flutter a bit.

You sit down on the couch as soon as you set it down, prompting Vikna to sit next to you, laying her head on your shoulder. Some nights you couldn't sleep when she was out having a good time for fear of doing anything you might regret, such as destroying the apartment. You nearly tore open the wall one time when you were alone, which was luckily stopped when she woke you up. On the other hand, you've been so god damn horny that you actually had to ask Vikna for sex. Some times you'd do it once every 3 days, others you'd do it once every 3 hours. She had absolutely no problem giving you mind blowing sex every waking hour of the day, which really helped stress. Vikna continues purring into your shoulder as you turn on the news as you hear a helicopter go overhead.

Speaking of stress, you've been trying to stay inside and have food delivered to your apartment. You'd wake up earth shatteringly fuck-ass mad some days and others you'd wake up as mellow as ever. You remember you cussed out a cashier for over 15 minutes for counting your change wrong, which you immediately apologized for when Vikna calmed you down. You also beat a man so hard he's still in the ER because he tried taking Vikna off while she was drunk. He put some roofies in her drink and you nearly killed the man. In fact, you wish you did so the court case wouldn't have lasted so long. The Marine Corps tried to kick you out after that, but you fought tooth and fucking nail to stay in until they finally put you into the reserves. You're interrupted by Vikna turning your face toward her and kissing you, sliding her tongue past your lips as you both begin to make out on the couch. She pulls back, making you smile as she giggles.

“You can keep trying to push me away all you want, I'm not leaving no matter how angry you get.” She says with a smile. “You won't get rid of me no matter what.”

“Are you sure?” You ask. “I don't know if it'll ever get better and I don't want to be a burden.”

“I'll be here for you.” She says, pecking you on the cheek. “What do you think we should do for dinner tonight?”

“I was thinking we could go to...oh, I don't know, Websters?” You ask with a smile.

“That place is really expensive though!” She says.

“I've been planning this out for a week now babe. I've got my uniform dry cleaned and pressed. Don't worry, I cleaned your uniform too.” You tell her. “No place is too expensive for you, especially with how much you put up with for my sake.”

“I can't let you foot the entire bill though.” She says.

“You don't have a choice. Credits aren't able to be exchanged here because the galaxies are basically isolated.” You tell her. “Don't worry, it's nothing to me...wait, I said that wrong. I mean-”

“I know what you meant.” She says with giggle. “You're so cute when you're flustered.”

“Yeah...” You say with a chuckle. “What car do you want to take?”

“What about that big old boat?” She asks with a smirk. “That one with the engine that's as big as me?”

“Nah, that thing needs maintenance...again.” You say. “What about the Falcon? That's a nice little car. I washed it last week.”

“It's a death trap.” She tells you. “I'm still mad you took me to the meeting with the President in that thing.”

“Hmm...Mustang?” You ask.

“No, too loud and aggressive. I just want to feel like a lady for once.” She says. “I didn't bring that frilly little thing for nothing.”

“Well, we can't take the 55 Ford or you have to dress up for it. That's just not a car we can go off and take to a restaurant.” You say. “What about the truck?”

“NO!” She yells. “It smells like horse shit and paint thinner!”

“Taurus?” You ask.

“Eh, if there's nothing else we can. I still don't like riding in it after the first day I was in it.” She replies.

“Camaro-”

“Eugh, no. I hate that car and I told you to sell it off.” She tells you. “You're either selling it or giving it away when we get back.”

You let out a long, drawn out sigh before realizing the only other car you have left.

“Do you want to ride in the Tesla?” You ask in an unenthusiastic tone.

“Yes!” She says with a big smile.

“The Tesla is so boring though!” You say. “There's no engine at all!”

“That's why I like it.” She says with a smirk. “It's also the closest thing you have to the cars we have back in the Rishan galaxy.”

“Well, if that's what you want, I'll oblige.” You say, getting up. “I need to fix that fucking Caddy already. Piece of shit garbage made to break Cadillac junk...”

1 hour later

You finally arrive at the restaurant, adjusting your uniform for the final time. It looks perfect as the medal rocks gently around your neck. You didn't want to wear it, but Vikna insisted. She looks back at you with a smile and you press the door button, opening it.

“Is this considered a date?” You ask as you get out of the Roadster. “I've been planning it for a while and wanted to get to know you a bit more.”

“Jack, we're married now.” She says with a giggle. “It's called dinner now.”

You nod and look at her again, her beautiful light blue dress shirt matching perfectly with her grey pants. She sees you looking and blushes, looking off to the side.

“W-what? Is there something on me?” She asks.

“You look gorgeous. It almost makes up for the fact that we had to drive the Tesla.” You reply.

“Whatever, you know you like it.” She says, looking back up at you.

When you both enter the restaurant, you see a man in a uniform of some sort. He looks back at you and looks down at a computer, waiting for you to walk up.

“Hello, sir. How may I help you?” He asks in a polite manner.

“I reserved a table for two under Haigs.” You tell him. “I think it was the diamond room if I remember correctly.”

“Ah, you're that Haigs.” He replies. “Right this way, sir.”

He takes you both off to a room before opening it up, allowing you to enter the room. It had windows to the dining room as well as the kitchen, some wine and glasses already set out with plates and utensils. You both sit down and the man stands at the end of the table, waiting patiently for you both to get settled.

“So, what will it be ma'am?” He asks. “Jackson has already picked his food out.”

He hands her a menu and she takes it, reading through it.

“Sorry, my English reading isn't that great.” She says, handing you the menu. “I know how to say these, but I can't put meaning to the words.”

You nod, smiling at the fact you had this problem when you went on your first date with her. You proceed to read off every single item on the menu and she stops you half way through.

“Wait, did you say bone marrow?” She asks.

“You really are a feline.” You say with a chuckle.

“Well now I have to order that.” She tells you. “Keep going.”

You read off the rest of the menu and she looks back at the waiter, who's waiting patiently for you to read off all the food for her.

“I'll take the prime ribeye and salmon. Put some shrimp with the ribeye please.” She says.

“That's a pound of steak Vikna. You sure you can eat all that?” You ask.

“I'm a predator. I eat when I can.” She says, fluttering her eyes.

“Guess you want rare?” The man asks.

“What? No. I'm not feral. I want it done medium well. I like a bit of toughness with my meat.” She says with a lick of her lips. “Plus, I don't want parasites.”

“Anything else?” The waiter asks.

“Some of the fries would be nice.” She says. “We can take them home if I don't finish it all here.”

“Anything to drink?” He asks.

“I think we have all we could want right here.” She says, eyeing the wine. “If you have some vodka, let me know.”

“I'll ask for some from the kitchen if they have it.” He says. “For you, sir?”

“I'll just drink some wine.” You tell him. “Thank you.”

He nods, walking back out of the room as you both take a glass from the platter. Vikna looks at the cork for the bottle and does a couple movements with her finger before sitting back in the seat with a groan.

“No magic.” She says.

“Hand me the bottle, I'll show you some magic.” You tell her.

She hands you the bottle and you take it in your hand, pulling the cork off by hand. It makes a creaking sound before coming off and you pour some wine in your glass before handing her the bottle and cork. When she fills up a glass with wine, you take the glass in your hand and swirl it around a bit.

“Mmm, look at those peasants out there, eating in the dining area.” You say in an over the top and pompous voice. “Imagine being poor, just get more money from mommy and daddy!”

“Nyes, quite!” Vikna says, matching your accent in her own flavor of royal bullshittery. “Just stop being poor.”

You both chuckle and you take a sip of the wine, shuddering a bit. Alcohol has no right being as sweet as this. You turn back to her and she smiles, setting the wine down.

“You've been doing really good today.” She says. “No outbursts or getting angry at anyone. I think you're improving.”

“I chose this room specifically so I wouldn't have to deal with anyone being obnoxious.” You tell her. “I also picked it so we wouldn't have to watch what we say.”

“I kind of figured, but I didn't want to bring it up.” She says, looking off to the side. “Still, you're doing a lot better than you were 3 weeks ago. That intensive therapy has really been helping.”

“Well, you've been a driving force behind my happiness too, you know.” You tell her. “Every time I ask you to do it, you never say no.”

“Why would I? I love doing it with the man I love.” She says. “It never gets old and I don't think it ever will get old. Feels like the first time every time.”

“I thought it was just me.” You say with a smile. “Our wedding is in about a month now. How long are those heat pills going to hold out for?”

“Three days after the wedding.” She says. “It'll hit me like a ton of bricks. You'll need to go at it for three days. Once I get knocked up, my heat will stop about a day afterward.”

“What happens to me if your heat stops before the fertility meds stop working?” You ask.

“I fuck your brains out until I collapse. Then you use me however you need until you collapse.” She says with a smile. “That's how Ayn said to do it. I hate to say it, but this is the one thing I trust her completely with.”

“Well...how long will it take?” You ask. “The baby, I mean.”

“It'll usually take about four months or five if it's really late. Felines have lower gestation periods than most other species of our size.” She tells you. “We won't have to wait long.”

“Are there any cons to this?” You ask.

“Yes, I'll be very weak about one month in and I won't be able to stand after three months. A week before the baby comes though, I'll gain some kind of magical ability for a few weeks that doesn't require Tau at all. Usually it's super strength or the ability to not feel any pain, or a combination of both, which I hope it is. I...I'm not very confident I will be able to make it through without either or some heavy duty pain killers.” She explains. “I'm too small...”

“Vikna, I'll be there for you every step of the way.” You tell her. “What about cravings? Will you have any?”

“Lots of meat and a bit of sugar.” She replies. “I'll also need to resist the urge to have sex after about three weeks. It could hurt the baby if I do it with you past then. You'll just have to make due with my mouth.”

“Will you become...ornery?” You ask.

“No, not at all.” She replies. “If anything I'll be a lot nicer than I am right now. All my walls will crumble for the entire four month period, so no Nytro! I don't want him or Ayn seeing me like I'm going to be. My friend was so embarrassingly nice during her pregnancy that everyone tried to take advantage of her.”

“Will it last past then?” You ask.

“For about ten months afterward until they can walk. Anthros learn to walk a lot faster than human babies do. At least, from what I've seen. They usually walk on all fours after about a week.” She says.

“I can't wait.” You say with a smile. “You've already been so much nicer than you've ever been. I'm actually starting to think you're taking some of my anti depressants.”

You hear a knock on the door behind you and a man opens the door, holding a platter in one of his hands as he makes his way to the table.

“Your starts, steaks, and sides.” He says, setting your plates down first before walking over to Vikna and setting hers down. “I hope you enjoy. If you run out of fries, feel free to bug us. We'll come running.”

“Thanks, have a good one.” You tell him, unwrapping your utensils before he closes the door behind him. “What a nice guy.”

“Jack, before we start eating, I need to ask you something very important.” She says, looking you dead in the eye. “Will you hit our child at all? Especially in a fit of rage.”

You look down at the steak, the smell wafting up into your nose.

“If he needs to be disciplined, I will spank him, but I will never beat him. I'd never hurt him, just like I'd never hurt you.” You tell her as you look back into her eyes. “If I ever lose control-”

“You won't.” She says. “You've got a tight enough lid on your anger that I trust your word.”

You nod, finally cutting into your steaming slab of beef.

“If he ever asks where I go, tell him I'm working.” You tell her before sticking the steak in your mouth.

“I will.” She says with a smile, using her knife to cut the beef and picking it up with her claws.

“Use a fork. Were you raised in a barn?” You ask.

“No, but I feel like I'm eating in one.” She says with a chuckle, using the fork like she was told.

1 month later

You're sitting on a plane with Vikna as she looks out over the ocean, sighing as she leans back into the seat, the whine of the climate control being the only other thing you hear. You booked a ticket on a super sonic jet liner that recently made a comeback while you were out and about in the world of space furries.

“I see land finally.” Vikna tells you. “What's that?”

You look out and see the beginning of Hawaii's biggest island. Before you could answer, the pilot speaks up.

“Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We are slowing down to sub mach speed on approach to Daniel K. international. Welcome to Hawaii and remember to say aloha on the ground!” The pilot says with a cheerful tone.

“What does aloha mean?” Vikna asks.

“It means hello in Hawaiian.” You reply. “It also means goodbye.”

“That's stupid.” She says, crossing her arms.

“Hey, don't be cranky or I'll spank you when we get off the plane.” You tell her.

“Fine.” She says, sighing gently. “I'm just glad to finally be out of the air. I like being in space or on the ground. Not in between.”

After you land and get off the plane, there's a few people waiting to give you flower necklaces. You both say aloha and it makes the women who give you the necklaces smile, nodding as you both walk off from the terminal to collect your baggage.

1 hour later.

You finally arrive at your room, having had to wait a while for a taxi before giving in and spending even more money on a rental car. Both of you were going to be here for 2 weeks, so you might as well have a bit more agency over where you go. It wasn't anything too special, a white Malibu with a few thousand miles on it, but it was a car. Speaking of the hotel, it was an ungodly amount of money for two weeks in the suite you booked. You could've bought a really nice car for the amount of money it cost to stay here, but it was a hundred percent worth it for her. When she enters the room, she looks off to the right and sees a coffee machine, immediately going for it and prepping it for coffee. She walks off with a cup and goes into the bathroom

“The first thing you're doing in this hotel is getting a cup of coffee?” You ask with a smile.

“Not everyone has a completely fucked sleeping schedule like you.” She says, causing you to close the door. “My heat will hit me hard tomorrow. I hope you're ready.”

“I'm ready any time.” You tell her. “Do you have the pills?”

“I do. They're in my hard case.” She says, pointing to one of her two floating metallic cases. “I'll set them by the bed once I've had my coffee.”

She pours the water into the coffee maker and sets a packet of coffee inside the machine, watching it dispense the black liquid as she smiles. You walk into the main living area and look out at the beach, watching the waves crash against it as you see a carrier sailing in the distance. Looks like it was coming in to dock, even though carriers usually don't dock at Pearl Harbor. You can smell a slight coconut smell in the air as you sit on the couch, watching as the palm trees blow slightly in the wind. Vikna sits down next to you with her cup of coffee, drinking it down as she looks out toward the sea.

“Is this what a hotel room is like on Earth?” She asks.

“This is what a very expensive hotel room is like on Earth.” You reply.

“How much was it?” She asks, looking over at you.

“Enough.” You reply.

“Jack. Spill the beans.” She tells you.

“5 grand.” You tell her.

“For the whole trip?!” She asks.

“For one night.” You say, looking back out to sea.

“WHAT?!” She screams out. “That's too much!”

“It's really not.” You lie. “We've got that gold, remember?”

“Jack, you spent SEVENTY GRAND on a hotel we are going to use for rutting. FOR RUTTING! Why didn't you include me in this insane plan of yours?!” She asks violently, grabbing your shoulder with her free hand.

“I wanted a nice view to rail you to.” You tell her. “Also, this was the only part of the resort that wasn't going to be bothered by your screaming. It's too expensive for anyone to afford.”

“Including you!” She yells.

“Vikna, we still have 172 pounds of gold left. That's a lot of money.” You tell her.

“You mean thirty two pounds?” She asks, chugging her coffee like it was alcohol before setting the empty cup on the coffee table. “Twenty is going to our kids, twenty is reserved for whatever the reversal treatment is going to cost us, and a hundred is reserved for whatever the fuck kind of house you decided on across the entire United States.”

“It's still plenty of money sweetheart.” You say, running the back of your hand along her cheek. “We're not going to make this a regular thing. It's our honeymoon, so I want it to be as special as I can make it. Besides, I could've totally gotten one that cost twelve grand a night.”

“I think I'm going to faint if you mention something like that again.” She says, putting a hand to her forehead before smiling. “I appreciate you putting so much money into this for us.”

“Thank you.” You say, relaxing back into the couch. “Let's go put our clothes away.”

1 more hour later

Vikna is in the shower as you watch TV on the couch. She's been in there the entire time you unpacked both yours and her bags. Sneaky little kitty. The news is buzzing with reports of the carrier that just docked in Pearl, the Captain having had a catastrophic heart attack that forced him back to port. He said people were free to take a tour, but the classified parts of the ship were still off limits. You hear a thump mixed with a moan from the bathroom and you mute the TV, hearing more moans.

“J-Jack!” Vikna yells. “G-get in here, FUCK!”

You throw the remote down and vault over the couch, running to the bathroom before seeing her furiously fingering herself with cheeks as red as blood.

“P-pills!” She says before convulsing in the shower. “T-take one!”

You nod, making your way back to the bedroom and grabbing a small red pill bottle. It was labeled “Fertility Enhancement Medication” on the label and you press the small button on top, a pill being dispensed for you to take. The instructions said to crunch one half of it with your teeth and put the contents under your tongue before masturbating until ejaculation. If you had to guess, this was to get rid of the old infertile cum you had stored away and make way for the new baby batter.

“JACK! HURRY!” She yells. “I-I-a-ah!”

You look back in the bathroom and see Vikna sitting on the seat of the shower, wet as a mop as you stick the crushed up pill underneath your tongue. The medication works fast, making you hard as a rock and hornier than you've ever been before. Fuck jacking off, you were going straight for it. You pull off your belt and pants, pulling them to the floor as Vikna looks back at you with a smile a mile wide. You swallow the other half of the pill and she continues rubbing herself, moaning and squeaking as you pull off your shirt and underwear. When you get in the bathroom, you nearly throw the door open as Vikna welcomes you with open arms, you sticking your cock inside her straight away.

“Y-yes!” She yells. “Fuck me so hard I won't need another load!”

You pick her up and start fucking her upright, feeling the most intense pleasure you've ever felt before in your entire life. Whether it was the aphrodisiacs or the fact Vikna was in heat, it didn't matter, you were already about to blow.

“F-fuck, I'm gonna-”

“WAIT!” She yells. “In my mouth! I don't want the first load to be infertile!”

You immediately pull out and she drops from your grasp, getting on her knees and beginning to suck you off. It only takes a few strokes before you lean back against the shower, groaning as you blow your load down her throat. Spurt after spurt of man milk feels like it explodes out of you as you buck hard against her lips. Every buck makes her moan and suckle more, drawing every drop out as she seems to visibly relax. You feel a few more trickles come out of your cock before Vikna sucks one final time, drawing every single drop out of your tip before looking off to the side.

“It's sweet...” She says after pulling back. “It tastes like gum.”

She swallows whatever was in her mouth and smiles, licking her lips.

“Are y-you good?” You ask.

“It's gone for a little while.” She tells you. “Fuck, there was so much precum inside me. When was the last time we did it?”

“About a-a month ago.” You say, sitting down on the shower's convenient seat. “I just didn't feel like doing it.”

“Well, let's wash ourselves off and sit outside for a bit. The sun is going to set soon.” She tells you.

“Y-yeah. I think I'll be ready to go again in a few minutes, but I can wait a couple hours.” You say.

2 hours later

You're both sitting outside on the patio, holding different brands of alcohol in glasses as you watch the sun set. You were so fucking horny right now, but you manage to keep it at bay for long enough to enjoy Vikna's company. You take a sip of the locally brewed whiskey, looking over at Vikna who's smiling.

“I have to admit, this is very pretty.” She says with a smile. “I know why it costs so much now.”

“Every penny is worth it for you to be happy.” You tell her.

“You're so sweet.” She says.

“Hey, why weren't you answering the door?” A voice asks to your right.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!” Vikna screams out as you turn toward the voice.

You see Ayn standing in a T-shirt and pants, looking back at you with a smile.

“I see why you picked here for a honeymoon sweetie.” She says.

“God dammit, answer me you slut!” Vikna shouts.

“Why are you here?” You ask a bit more nicely. “Did Fluff send you?”

“No, I asked to come and make sure you two didn't die.” She says. “I can already smell you took the red pill, so I came with some actual purpose made drinks to accompany you both.”

She pulls out a 12 pack of drinks and sets them down before setting a hard backpack on the ground.

“Oh. My. Fucking. God.” Vikna says, punctuating each word by smacking her head against the back of the chair. “Can't you just let me make a baby in peace?”

“No, because you'll fuck it up with superstition and I don't want any friend of mine having a deformed baby. Did you take the stabilizer?” She asks.

“Yes!” Vikna yells.

“Did you?” Ayn asks a bit more forcefully.

“N-no.” Vikna replies, looking down at her feet.

“Take it right now.” Ayn tells her, pointing back to the room.

“I forgot to take them.” Vikna says, rubbing behind her neck.

Ayn rolls her eyes and tosses a pill bottle to Vikna, which was marked in the same way the fertility pills were.

“I can only hope you swallowed the first load.” She tells Vikna. “Otherwise your baby is going to come out as some kind of oddly proportioned mess that will die in a few days and you'll be very depressed.”

“Thanks Ayn.” You tell her. “You saved us.”

You look back at Vikna, who's holding the bottle as she looks down at the ground. You snap your fingers and your wife looks up guiltily, watching you point to Ayn.

“Say thank you.” You tell Vikna.

“Thanks.” Vikna tells Ayn, crossing her arms.

“I've also brought some other stuff.” She says, clicking open the backpack. “Rei wanted you to take that pistol you keep leaving over there.”

She takes out a belt and pistol holster with a pistol and magazines on the belt.

“I also brought a toy for Vikna if she doesn't want to wake-”

“I don't need that!” She yells. “I don't want whatever weird dragon dildo you decided to bring.”

“Okay, guess that's for me now.” She says before pulling out a can. “Food disks so you don't have to leave the room. Just add hot water and these turn into steaks.”

You nod, getting up and setting the whiskey down before walking over to her. You pick up the holster and throw it over your shoulder, grabbing the meat disks before walking back over to the chair.

“I also brought some more of that all nighter since I heard you were going to be staying for 2 weeks. Don't take it for more than 3 days or you'll black out for a month.” She says. “Make sure to take at least 28 hours to rest before using it again.”

“Thanks.” You say, setting the things down on the chair before walking back over to her. “You want a place to stay? I can get a roll away for you.”

“Uh, I don't fucking think so.” Vikna says with such venom that it made you shiver. “I will not let her ruin this for us.”

“Then I'll get you a room.” You tell Ayn. “They're not very busy right now, so you can take people off and do things at your whim.”

“I'll make sure to repay you come Christmas.” She says, watching you pick up the bottles. “Oh! I have something else.”

She pulls a patch and a flag from inside of the bag, giving you the trifold flag and the patch.

“You left the patch in my room and the flag was in Rei's room.” She tells you. “I kept the patch in my drawer and remembered it a few days before the wedding. Is that something you made?”

“It was something I made for all the people in my writing group.” You reply. “I should probably talk to some of them when I get back to the apartment.”

After you finish that sentence, you feel a huge wave of horniness and hotness crash into you like a freight train. You feel yourself getting an erection and look back at Vikna, digging around in your pocket for your wallet.

“Use the blue card. Only the blue card. Take an ocean view room and have fun. I need to go back inside right fucking now.” You tell her, basically shoving the wallet into her hand. “Come back in a few hours with the wallet please. Thank you.”

You take the patch and flag and she smiles.

“The medication taking effect already?” She asks.

“Y-yes.” You tell her, beginning to tremble.

“Well go on.” She tells you. “If you need me, I'm a phone call away. Mind if I buy a few pairs of cheap clothes?”

“Sure, I gotta go!” You tell her, rushing back to the house. “Fucking Christ is this what heat feels like?”

“Yes.” Ayn says back with a chuckle before you throw the sliding door open Vikna hurrying along. “Have a good one sweetie!”

You nod and close the sliding door, closing the privacy screen as well. Vikna is smiling with glee as she begins stripping out of her clothes, watching you close the doors to the living room before basically throwing your clothes off of you. Your cock was hard as a rock, pulsating and twitching as it begins leaking fluid from inside.

“Fuck, I hope it takes.” Vikna says. “If it does, my body will release a hormone that binds with the fertility medication and take away its effects.”

All you can do is make your way over to her, seeing her laying on the specially requested non-permeable sheets you asked for. You couldn't think of anything else other than sex and how hard you were going to fuck her. She spreads her already soaking wet pussy for you and you climb up on the bed. When you're on top of her, she pulls you into a kiss as you slip inside, precum practically gushing from your dick as you twitch inside her. You feel like you're blowing the biggest load you've ever blown and this is just the precum. You shudder when you think of what it's going to feel like blowing an actual load inside her.

“F-fuck, it feels like you're c-cumming so much...” Vikna says after releasing you from the kiss. “I d-don't care if you cum early, just do it!”

You begin thrusting into her with wild abandon, hearing her begin to squeal in ecstasy as you continue leaking precum into her slit. She's completely lubed up and tight as ever, pulsating with every thrust as she continues to moan for you. Every thrust makes you feel like you're already over the edge, the constant flow of precum continuing to flow as she shakily takes a cylindrical device from beside the bed. She sticks it up to her clit and you see a tiny cord slither down your cock, a few beeps coming from it before she looks up at it.

“Y-your precum is s-so fertile!” She yells, showing you the device.

Between your thrusts into her soaking wet snatch, you see the device shows a 78 percent chance of you impregnating her with your precum alone, but you weren't happy with that. You needed a full 100 percent or you weren't going to be satisfied. You thrust even faster and harder as she digs her claws into the sheets, revealing the rubber underneath the fabric as she drops the device. It falls to the side of you both as you hear loud, wet slaps coming from down below, the entire bed now moving with every thrust.

“Y-you're gonna break m-me!” She yells, wrapping her legs around your back side. “Keep going! Kno-knock me up!”

You feel a pressure building in your crotch as you pick up the pace, Viknas moans turning to cries as you fall to your elbows. You couldn't feel anything but your dick right now as it slid in and out of Viknas freshly lubed snatch, making you go faster and faster as you try to reach your climax. Your little kitty pulls you into a kiss and it pushes you over the edge, a massive and forceful load being blown directly into her womb. You groan as your entire body wracks from the pleasure, relaxing before another spurt makes you slam yourself home again. You feel a wave of pleasure and calm wash over you, the feeling in your limbs coming back as you come down off of whatever spell the medication put you under. Spurt after spurt continues to pour into her womb, but it just feels numb now. This feeling...it made you happier than you've ever been in your entire life. Vikna continues making out with you as she begins to purr, you just now noticing she was milking you the entire time. Your tongues intertwine as you feel no residue from the stabilizers, meaning it was definitely going to be a feline. She pulls away and a strand of saliva connected the two of you briefly before you pull too far away. You both lay there for a while, panting and breathing before chuckling at each other.

“Did you feel that wave?” You ask. “It definitely felt like I made a baby.”

“I felt it too.” She says with a smile. “Me heat's completely extinguished. You...you definitely knocked me up.”

She picks up the tool before pulling herself back onto you, milking what little baby batter you had left into her oven. She just had a little after shock.

“I love you s-OH-much.” She says, licking your bare chest as you shudder a bit. “Let's check to be sure.”

You pull back and a huge stream of cum leaks out of her pussy, causing her to whine a bit as it lays to rest on the non-permeable sheets. She sticks the device into her slit, er, more of a hole now. It extends the little probe inside and she gasps as it penetrates her womb, beeping twice before her eyes go wide.

“You did it!” She says with a laugh. “It's positive!”

You pull her into a hug and begin laughing along with her, pulling her into a kiss as you both giggle at each other. When you pull back, she goes in for seconds and keeps kissing before you both need to pull away for air.

“You know what they say about getting pregnant on the first go?” She asks. “Especially so soon?”

“What?” You ask in return.

“It means the chemistry between us is very strong. Nobody else in the entire galaxy would've been able to do it first time, even with fertility medication.” She tells you. “It also means we'll never get tired of each other. We'll live for over a hundred years and never want anyone else. In other words, it's true love~.”

“Oh my god I love you so much.” You tell her, pulling her into another kiss.

When you pull back, she pulls you into another hug.

“Back to the showers?” She asks.

“Showers.” You tell her.

1 hour later

You call Ayn as you're walking along the patio, having had a very small session with Vikna in the shower to seal the deal, but it was nowhere near as good as the main event. She said she'd know whether it was a boy or a girl tomorrow, but she knew it was going to be a boy. Mother's intuition as she put it. When Ayn picks up, you smile.

“Hello?” She asks. “Is there something wrong?”

“Meet me back at the pacific suite as soon as you can.” You tell her, doing your best to hide your excitement. “Vikna's asleep right now, so she won't yell.”

You look back at Vikna and she holds in a snicker as you wait for Ayn to respond.

“I'll be right there.” She says in a hurry before hanging up.

You sit down on the couch and wait for a bit, hearing Vikna walk up behind you.

“I didn't know the whole niceness thing would come so fast.” She says. “Should I apologize for being so mean to Ayn?”

“If you want.” You tell her. “I would, but you can do whatever you want.”

“Then I will.” She says, putting her muzzle on top of your head. “You're gonna be a dad. How does that make you feel?”

“Excited.” You reply. “I can't wait to play ball with him and do all the things I was never able to do.”

“I'll be happy to watch you from the sidelines. Hopefully he'll become a football superstar.” She says. “Or a soccer superstar as you like to call it.”

You here rapid and panicked knocks come from the door and Vikna lifts her head, allowing you to rise from your seat. When you walk to the door, the knocking gets louder and more rapid until you reach the door, unlocking it. When you open the door, you can see the panic in her eye.

“What happened?!” She asks. “Did you get hurt? Did you break her hips? Did her tail snap? Is she in a coma? Did you break your dick? Are you infertile? I can help with that if we go back to the Rishan! Please, tell me! We can still salvage this!”

“Whoa, it's nothing bad.” You tell her with a smile. “Come on, take a seat on the couch.”

She nods and you allow her through, watching her walk over to the couch as you close the door. When she sits down, you make your way over to the couch and look over, seeing Vikna emerge from the bedroom. When Ayn sees this, she's visibly confused.

“Jack...what's going on?” She asks.

“You want to tell her?” You ask, excitement just barely being hidden.

“No, I think you should tell her.” She tells you with a nod.

“I'm going to be a father.” You say with a smile.

Ayn's jaw drops as her lips curl into a smile. She gets up from the couch and nearly tackles you to the ground.

“Oh my god Habibi that's great!” She says excitedly, feeling her tail wag at a million miles a minute. “When did this happen?!”

“After you left.” You tell her. “We lost track of time and went at it for ten minutes straight.”

“He knocked me up first try.” Vikna adds. “I'm so proud of him and I'm sure everyone will want to know.”

Vikna moves up to you and clears her throat, Ayn realizing she probably stayed too long.

“Oh, sorry sweetie.” She says, blushing a bit.

“Where's my hug?” Vikna asks.

Ayn smirks and pulls Vikna into a hug as she wraps her tail around Ayn, laughing a bit as they both twirl around.

“You're so brave.” Ayn says, setting her down. “However, I do want to know one thing. Did he break you?”

“He broke down the last little bit of my wall I had left.” She replies with a smile. “You're seeing the real me for the first time.”

“I like the real you.” Ayn says, looking back with a smile. “Are you still against the whole threesome idea I proposed?”

“Yes.” Vikna tells her.

“It was worth a shot.” Ayn says, holding her smile. “Well, congratulations on the baby.”

“If you haven't gotten a room yet, you can stay here if you want.” Vikna offers. “I'm sorry about snapping earlier.”

Ayn looks back at you and you shrug, prompting her to look back.

“He really did a number on you.” Ayn tells her. “I'll sleep on the couch. Looks comfortable enough.”

“We're going to Pearl Harbor tomorrow if you want to tag along.” You tell her. “I've never been to Hawaii before, as both my tours have been combat tours in the east.”

“Is that why we came to this specific island?” Vikna asks. “I saw that carrier sailing in. Even though it's primitive, a real Katrician naval officer knows their ships.”

“You act like we're not going to any of the other islands.” You say with a smile. “This is just home base. We're visiting all the islands.”

“Well, okay.” Vikna says, yawning before stretching herself. “I'm tired, I'm going off to bed, okay?”

“Okay, go to bed sleepy head.” You say with a smile.

She nods and begins purring, walking off to the bedroom before closing the door. When you turn back to Ayn she sits down and puts a hand to her chest.

“You really are a couple.” She says. “You're melting my heart sweetie.”

You nod and sit down at the end of the couch, picking up the remote and turning on the TV. It shows the ending card on the seven o'clock news. You hand the remote over to Ayn along with the guide.

“Well, what are you going to do?” Ayn asks. “When he or she is growing up.”

“I'm going to raise him into a man I had to learn to be throughout my later years.” You reply. “I'll take him fishing, play American football, teach him to shoot, you know, boy stuff.”

“It must be really exciting.” She says.

“Speaking of excitement, how goes the search for a future king?” You ask.

“I...I don't know. Even though mom became a lot more mellow, she still won't let me marry who I want.” Ayn replies, looking down at the ground. “She said you were the only exception, but you're taken. I've been trying to slowly expand her horizons by bringing some of the barely noble nobility in who are barely above peasants. I've met some really great people who aren't nobility.”

“Well, yeah. Your class doesn't dictate what kind of person you are, only how much money you make.” You say. “Just because I have cars and money doesn't mean I'm a douchebag who makes rap videos for the internet.”

“To be fair, you were given those things by others.” She says. “But I digress, the search is still ongoing, but I will not give up on trying to find a man, nobility or not.”

“What about the happenings in the Rishan?” You ask. “What's been going on there?”

“Bhainen tried to escape prison and was put in maximum security for 50 years. The age reversal treatment has been bumped from 60 to 80 years before it went public. It's really expensive, but you both have enough money put away for it I assume. It's equivalent to 10 pounds of gold.” She says.

“Called it.” You say with a smile. “Please, continue.”

“Zofie is back to running her bakery full time, which is nice. She's also been keeping her distance from Dell, since he's been really needy lately. She actually ran out of condoms the last time they did it.” Ayn tells you.

“Really?” You ask. “I thought canine refractory periods were long.”

“Most of them are, but a select few have low refractory periods. Twix and Nytro are both good examples.” She says. “Though, Nytro didn't always fall under that category. His knot used to work all the time too, but now it's kind of finicky. Not that he needs it with the enchantment I put on him a few years-”

“Ayn, please.” You say. “I don't care about Nytro's dick.”

“Oh, right.” She says, blushing a bit. “Well, BST got a new form. Or is it VST? I can't remember and they can't decide on the nomenclature.”

“Can't wait to see it.” You say.

You both sit there for another hour, talking about recent events until you finally feel yourself getting tired. You tell Ayn goodnight and make your way back to the bedroom, tired out from today's events. When you lay down in the bed, Vikna nearly jumps onto you, purring and rubbing her soft fur against your now mostly naked body. You stroke her hair and fur, smiling lightly as her body warmth puts you at ease. Sleep is soon to come after, it's warm and fuzzy embrace greeting you as you fade into unconsciousness.

8 hours later

You hear a knock on the door, immediately shaking you awake before you hear a jarring voice on the other side. You grab your pistol off the night stand, racking it silently before pointing it at the door, gripping it firmly.

“Jack, they're serving breakfast in a few minutes. I figured I'd let you know before you missed it.” Ayn says. “You two can sleep in if you want.”

You relax a bit, setting the gun back down as Vikna wraps her tail around your leg.

“Bring me something?” She asks.

“Sure, I'll be back.” You reply. “If you get lonely, just call me. I'm going to eat at the restaurant.”

“Nooo.” She whines. “Bring me back food.”

“Fine, I'll be back in a few minutes.” You tell her. “An omelet and some coffee for you. Medium roast with one pack of creamer, right?”

“You know what I like.” She says, pecking you on the cheek before laying back down.

“Alright, I'll be back.” You say.

You get out of bed, feeling her tail slide off your leg before the tip hangs limply off the side of the bed. When you make it to the door, you see Ayn sitting down on the couch, waiting for you. She cocks her head and you make your way over to the door.

“Aren't you forgetting something?” She asks.

You look down and see you're in only your underwear. When you look back up, she's smiling at you as your cheeks go red.

“I-I'll be right back.” You say, walking back into the bedroom.

20 minutes later

You stick the card inside the slot on your door, clearing your throat from laughing at Ayn's joke.

“So, that's how this poor peasant got to stay in my room for a week.” She says with a smile. “He's such a sweet guy, but I found out he couldn't lead a thirsty feragort to water if he tried.”

“Yeah, poor dude.” You say. “If you want to eat at the table, you can do that. I'll be back out when I give Vikna her omelet and coffee.”

She nods and goes off to the right, splitting off from you as you see the doors to the bedroom are shut off. This was weird, since you remember opening them up. When you make your way to the door and open them, you see Vikna is laying on the bed buck naked, shivering slightly as she sniffles a bit. You look back at Ayn and she smiles at you, prompting you to look back toward your wife. You approach slowly, making your presence known by clearing your throat with the omelet and coffee in one hand. Her ears swivel back before going flat, her tail coiling around herself. You set the omelet and coffee down along with your meal, making your way to her before getting on the bed.

“Hey, you okay?” You ask her.

“Y-yeah, I'm fine...” She says, holding her tail.

“What's wrong?” You ask, putting a hand on her shoulder.

“Nothing.” She tells you. “I'm fine.”

You flip her over and see the area around her eyes is completely soaked. You pull her into an embrace and she lets out a sob, wrapping her arms around you weakly.

“I'm scared Jack. I don't know how to be a mother.” She tells you. “I...I don't know if I want this anymore.”

“Vikna, I'm with you every step of the way. Every single step.” You tell her.

“I-I don't know if I want the baby any more.” She says, her breathing beginning to increase rapidly. “I-I want it gone, I want it out! I want it out now! RIGHT NOW!”

“No!” You tell her, squeezing her tight. “We did not just do all of this to quit now. We made the choice, we're going all the way.”

“B-but-”

“No buts.” You tell her. “I'm not one to force people to do things, but I...I can't let you do this.”

“Jack, it's only temporary.” Ayn tells you as you look back. “Post impregnation paranoia. She's probably scared she'll spawn a little demon.”

“It's a possibility!” Vikna yells back. “Have you seen all those videos on the Network of those little monsters? They wreck everything! Even marriages!”

“I'll be right back.” Ayn says, making her way out of the room before coming back with a bottle of pills. “This is very common in felines. Here sweetie, I've got something that'll make the baby go away.”

You look back at Ayn with horror and she winks, mouthing something you couldn't read from her muzzle before dispensing a red pill. She approaches and you put yourself between her and Vikna. She sighs, getting closer and mouthing “anti-psychotics” before you relax a bit. You let Vikna go and she sits on the bed, allowing Ayn to give her the pill. She's a bit apprehensive about it, but takes it anyway. She then looks back at you and you smile, prompting her to spit it back out.

“What?” Ayn asks. “Don't you want the baby to go away?”

“Not if it means looking at that empty smile again.” She says, looking back at you.

“Are you sure? This isn't really a day after pill, it's an anti paranoia pill that'll make you less stressed.” She says. “I lied to get you to take it.”

“I'm still not taking it.” She tells her. “He's gone through so much and took it all in stride. I'm not going to let the threat of birthing a little terror scare me away from making us both happy.”

“That still doesn't make any sense, but okay.” Ayn says, picking up the red pill with her claws before throwing it away. “If you don't want the pill, it doesn't matter.”

“Speaking of pills, I need to take mine.” You tell her. “Mind covering up, Vikna?”

“O-oh!” She yells in surprise, covering her tits with her arms and her slit with her tail. “Please, let me get dressed Ayn.”

Ayn nods and makes her way out of the room, prompting Vikna to let her arms and tail drop.

“Want me to make it up to you?” She asks, spreading her legs a bit as she blushes.

“No, you're fine. Drink your coffee and eat your food before they both get cold.” You tell her with a smile. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” She says, smiling a bit.

She closes her legs and you get up from the bed, grabbing your food and drink before making your way to the table Ayn was sitting at. You grab the big case of pills from the counter behind the couch, taking them over to the table as you sit across from Ayn, who smiles at you. That is, before you open your pill case and dump a whole load of medication down your throat.

“Jesus Christ! What did you just take?” She asks in surprise.

“Anti depressants, medication for my mental deficiency, vitamins, and a few medications to counteract the conflicting medications. You know, normal stuff.” You tell her after swallowing the pills down with some orange juice.

“Are you alright?” She asks with concern.

“I'd be lying if I said yes. I've got some pretty bad PTSD from that whole war, but I'll be fine so long as I keep taking these pills.” You reply. “I can still function like a normal human being if that's any consolation.”

“It's really not.” She says. “I feel terrible for you.”

“Don't.” You tell her. “It's my burden to bear, not yours.”

“But-”

“No buts.” You tell her. “I don't want to hear anything else about it.”

“I...fine.” She says, looking back down at her crab. “I'm here for you if you need anything.”

You nod and feel a hand on your shoulder, looking up to see Vikna looking back down with a shirt and some very loose pants on.

“Is that all you're wearing?” You ask. “Is there anything under it?”

“You expect me to dress up for breakfast?” She asks. “The harbor doesn't open for another half an hour and the Arizona exhibit doesn't open for an hour and a half. If Ayn wasn't here, I'd be naked.”

“That's hot.” You say.

“I know I am.” Vikna says before setting her half eaten omelet down on the table. “Thanks for getting me this, honey.”

She plants a kiss on your cheek and sits down beside you, continuing to eat her food.

1 hour later

You finish fashioning the medal around your neck, having called your CO and gotten authorization to wear your service uniform to Pearl Harbor. The charm of having this medal was still very much new to you, as was getting a Navy commendation almost a month after you won the Medal of Honor. It was actually funny, since Vikna won the equivalent of a Navy commendation about 4 days after you got yours. They said it was for extraordinary and prolonged acts of valor, which you were surprised they were giving you an award for. You thought the Medal of Honor was what you got for that. It actually made you a bit upset, since you had your Medal of Honor ribbon at the top of your rack before they gave you the commendation.

“Jack, you almost ready?” Vikna asks, interrupting your train of thought.

“I just finished tying my medal on.” You reply. “Did you pack your uniform?”

“I'm already dressed in what you equate to a service uniform.” She says, coming in with a black dress that had red and white accents.

It was a blouse and a skirt with a white scarf, unlike the robe that came with her dress uniform. It looked much more casual than her other uniform, and you were sure you'd seen it somewhere before.

“Where have I seen that uniform before?” You ask. “It's familiar.”

“Well, It's what I wore around the Tower all the time.” She tells you. “I practically lived in it. The clothes I had on were civilian both times you found me.”

“Isn't that your Kavkor uniform?” You ask.

“It's not.” She says, a bit offended. “Notice the white scarf? This is a Kirov uniform. I don't mistake you for a Sergeant because your uniform looks the same as everyone elses.”

“Where's your sash?” You ask.

“Not authorized to be used outside of my kel-er, dress uniform.” She tells you. “I don't want to get it dirty, as I don't think you have nano-cleaners yet.”

“In the miracle ships there are some, but I'm not paying two grand to go get dry cleaning done.” You say. “I know you think I spend frivolously, but I don't.”

“But you do!” She says.

“I only spend money on things I think are important to you and I. It's why Ayn is sleeping on a roll away and we're not sitting in a hotel that would've cost as much as a house.” You tell her. “Speaking of which, let's get moving. I want to get there before all the tourists flood in and clog up everything.”

She nods and you both make your way out of the bed room, seeing Ayn dressed up in a jacket and pants. She had ripped a hole in the rear to make way for her tail, but she was still in the middle of trying to make the hole bigger. She finally gets fed up and rips the jeans, allowing her tail to comfortably lay at rest while exposing a portion of her butt. When she looks back at you, she shrugs and you continue toward the door, opening it up. A maid is sitting at the other end of the door and she smiles a bit.

“House keeping?” She asks.

“A change of sheets would be nice, ma'am.” You reply. “Thank you.”

“Thank you for your service, sir.” She replies. “Have a nice day, they will be changed before you are back.”

You nod and continue onward toward your destination.

30 minutes later

You finally arrive at Ford Island, looking out at the Missouri battleship as you approach the massive battleship. It's size was certainly something to behold, making even the space craft you were aboard in the Rishan look like toys in comparison. When you look down at Vikna, she's as surprised as you are.

“When did you say this was built?” She asks.

“Over 80 years ago.” You reply. “She's a big one, isn't she?”

“I'm impressed you humans were able to make something this size before computers were even available. It's a marvel to be sure.” She replies. “I don't think it's as big as a battle cruiser, but I think it's incredibly large either way. Is it still space, er, sea-worthy?”

“Actually, she is.” You reply, making your way to the building for a ticket. “All of the Iowa class ships are kept as museum ships, but they're really kept here just in case we need a battleship.”

“Storing old ships and calling them museum pieces is a really clever tactic.” She tells you.

You chuckle as you enter the building, seeing a woman at the desk as you enter. When you make your way up to it, she looks up, seeing you and Vikna along with Ayn trailing behind. She smiles, sitting up straight before her eyebrows raise.

“Wait, I saw you on the news a couple months ago. Is your name Jack?” She asks.

“Yes, it is.” You reply. “We were wondering how much it was for a passport to Pearl Harbor.”

“Oh my gosh, I couldn't do that to you.” She says. “My boss wouldn't let me live it down if I charged you full price. Here, you and your friends can get a passport for ten dollars.”

“Each?” You ask.

“For all three.” She replies. “Seriously, thank you for your service.”

“Your welcome.” You tell her, taking out your wallet and pulling out a 20. “Keep the change please.”

She nods and prints out a few passes, handing them to you. Vikna takes hers and stuffs it under her cowl looking thing before Ayn puts hers in her pockets.

“I don't know if you'll be able to get on the carrier with this, but I'm sure if you flashed that medal, they'll let you aboard.” She says. “Welcome to Pearl Harbor!”

You nod with a smile and hold out your hand, having her shake it before turning around. When you exit the building, you turn back to Mighty Mo, seeing people coming up and down the catwalks to the deck. Guess you should probably start here.

10 hours later

You sit back down on the bed, taking off your dress coat as you lay your medal down on the bed. The day has been long and you just wanted something to eat. Vikna had ordered something over the phone from a menu she could read, ordering for you and Ayn as well. Speaking of Ayn, she was slated to go back home tomorrow, since she was going to try and find another suitor. She said someone else would be coming along, but said it was supposed to be a surprise. When you finally get your coat off, you hear a knock at the door.

“I'll get it!” Vikna says from the living room.

You hear a chuckle come from the living room as you look out at the sea, a cruise ship of some kind out in the distance. You were hoping ARA was coming, though you doubt she'd be given permission to leave the Tower for your sake. She would probably love the view or at the very least like some of the food they serve. Maybe it was Zofie, but you doubt she'd want to come visit you. She still wasn't entirely sure what to think of you, but she did go out of her way to call you, so maybe she's a bit less mad at you now. It couldn't be anyone else you knew, since Nytro only tolerates and interacts with you for Viknas sake. You hear a knock on the door and Vikna opens the door, carrying a steak and some beer.

“Want to eat in here?” She asks.

“Sort of.” You reply. “Probably going to sleep after lunch.”

“If you do that, I won't do you in the shower later tonight.” She tells you.

“Guess I could stay up a few more hours.” You tell her. “You sure that won't hurt our kid?”

“It'll be fine for a few weeks.” She replies. “Then I'll have to stop or you'll have to give me just the tip.”

You nod and take the steak from her, picking up the fork and knife before cutting off a piece. You stick the fork toward her and she pulls the meat off with her teeth, chewing and swallowing before you take a bite for yourself. She sits down beside you and you open the beer with your hand, taking a sip before setting it down on the nightstand.

“What do you want to name him?” She asks.

“Maybe Franklin or John.” You reply. “We can name him Ivan if you want something more Slavic.”

“I like Franklin.” She tells you as you continue to eat your steak.

You nod, finishing the steak before taking her hand, walking toward the sliding glass door. When you both make it outside, you sit down on one of the chairs, Vikna sitting next to you as the sun sets on the horizon.

“Where do we go from here?” You ask. “How do we prepare?”

“I honestly don't know.” She replies. “I can command an entire fleet of ships, but I don't know how to raise a child.”

“Me neither.” You tell her. “We'll figure it out along the way. We always do.”

“Yeah, we do.” She says. “I love you Jack.”

“I love you too.” You say, looking back at her. “You're the single greatest thing that's ever happened to me Vikna. Never ever forget that.”

“Stop it before I decide to flavor that pool water with peppermint and bubble gum.” She says with a smirk.

She pulls you into a kiss before you both look back out at the sunset, admiring the beauty of the big orange ball. The greatest journey a man can partake in has just been embarked on by you. Your name is Jackson, warrior, husband, friend, super soldier, and future father. This was just the starting line of the longest mile you'd have to run. You were ready for the next chapter in this story book of a life you led. You were ready for something new.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading my huge story. If you made it this far, I'm impressed you could make it past all bad writing and mistakes. Speaking of which, if there are any, make sure to leave a comment and I'll fix it right away. If you really liked the story, tell me! I'm really interested in what you thought of it. There's definitely going to be spin-offs and tie-ins to fill in and expand upon the time skips and give different perspectives, such as an overview of what Captain Richard did on another continent and how he coped. However, my main focus will now shift over to the sequel to this story. The next chapter of Jack's life begins in the next installment; More of the same.

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoyed, I'm really glad! I worked on this story since March and haven't stopped since December 16th. Hope this early Christmas present suffices for my long absence. Thanks for reading and leave a comment if I made a mistake or liked a certain part!


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